Mixing, Mastering & SoundVideo

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

A: I do alot of mastering work for a progressive house client who always seems to love the results, so that always makes me proud each time.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Generally I go digital but I do have some analog equipment that I use too (on the rare occasion). I'm not really sure why, maybe because I first started producing music on Ableton with just a laptop and mouse and have never really expanded to analog gear.

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

A: I can promise to provide you with the music that you need, want and require. That is the most important thing!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love being creative, it's just one of the many perks. I love working with other creator's and helping them with their creative goals and gaining a sense of their individuality. I like how different people can be.

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

A: I suppose, as a DJ, people saying you just ''press the play button''. Many people who don't understand the job of a mixing engineer also assume mixing is DJ'ing.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I provide questionnaires on my website for prospective clients, These can be found at the links below: http://kickinsnare.ie/mixing/ http://kickinsnare.ie/mastering/ http://kickinsnare.ie/sound-for-video/

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

A: My goal is to give you the mixes & masters that you want and require, so just give me as much information as you can on yourself, your music and your requirements. I'm sure I'll be able to give you what you need.

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

A: Music can be made with just a laptop so that is the most important thing. So, laptop, monitors, headphones, audio interface and maybe a Midi keyboard.

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

A: It's funny, I actually started out in construction and worked in that industry for years. I have always liked music and always wanted to learn to DJ, even from a very young age, but it was only when I started DJ & music production Lessons at London Sound Academy that I realised that I wanted to do this full-time. I started in music in 2018 and have completed numerous courses and finished a diploma at Recording Arts Canada within the last number of years.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Electronic

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

A: To be honest, there is no one artist that I would like to work with. All I can say is that I like to work with people I can learn from. The more I learn, the better off I am. Everyday is a school day!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Make music for yourself. Make the music you like and there will be other's out there who like you and your music for your individuality. Grow your fanbase by being yourself. Create your own trend and follow it.

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

A: When producing, generally Progressive House & Techno but I have knowledge and understaning of numerous genres when mixing & mastering including pop, rock, reggae, hip hop, afrobeat, etc. Information & previous projects can be found at http://kickinsnare.ie/.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I would like to think communication & understanding of the clients needs. But I have also been told by a client that I can I can provide high quality work within a quick timescale. Testimonials can also be found on my website at http://kickinsnare.ie/.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Good ears and professional knowledge and understanding of what the client needs & wants. The clients requirements are the most important thing. It is their creative work at the end of the day!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: This really depends on the project. Different projects require different processes. Mixing: - Set up project on Protools/Ableton. - Import all multitracks, name, place & colour code each track. - Set up routing for each track. - Read questionnaire provided by client to gain an understanding of what they want. This questionnaire can be found on Kickin Snare Sound's website (http://kickinsnare.ie/mixing/). - Listen to each track for any clicks/pops which may be causing sonic issues and remove any of these using fades & crossfades. - Provide a volume balance to make sure each instrument sits in the song evenly. - Start mixing each multitrack (starting with the kick) using a number of plugins such as EQ's, compressors, reverbs, delays, etc. depending on the genre and client's requirements. Mastering: - Set up project on Protools. - Import WAV file provided by client, name, place & colour code each track. - Set up routing for each track including master track. - Read questionnaire provided by client to gain an understanding of what they want. This questionnaire can be found on Kickin Snare Sound's website (http://kickinsnare.ie/mastering/). - Listen to song provided by client numerous times to get a feel for it and what the client wants. - Start with an EQ. Listen to any frequencies that may be causing sonic issues and notch/lower these frequencies until they are no longer causing issues. - Use a compressor separate each frequency band (lows, mids, highs) and compress each band as necessary. - Use another EQ to raise some frequency levels as necessary. - Use Limiter & WLM meter on the master track to enaure levels are raised suffiently to the clients requirements. They may need the song mastered to Spotify, Youtube or another form of media's loudness standards. Sound for Video: - Set up project on Protools. - Import video & WAV file multitracks file provided by client (dialogue & and music, if any, that they intend to use), name, place & colour code each track. If no music is provided, then I can either create it or find some roaylty free music to match the client's requirements. - Read questionnaire provided by client to gain an understanding of what they want. This questionnaire can be found on Kickin Snare Sound's website (http://kickinsnare.ie/sound-for-video/). - Watch video and get a feel for theme, setting and sounds that may be required. - Record and find royalty free sounds online and start placing them into the video at their specific location that they are required. For example, in my 'City in Motion' video, the traffic, buses, camera click, big ben's clock, etc, are all recorded and placed in the video. - create or add music as per the client's needs. - Add any dialogue provided by the client into the correct locations, similar to the sounds mentioned above. - Mix all Dialogue, Sounds, FX, & music together usng volume control & plugins.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio includes: - Laptop & Monitor - Pro Tools - Ableton - Yamaha HS5 Monitors - Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface - Komplete Kontrol A25 Midi Keyboard - Arturia Minibrute 2 Synthesizer - Pro FX Mixer - Roland TR-08 - Korg Vocla Sample - TD-3 Bassline Synthesizer - Various plugins including Output Portal, WLM Meter, Ozone 9, etc.

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

A: I am a Progressive House & Techno music producer & DJ so mainly artists within the electronic realm. However, I do mix and master music in several genres including pop, rock, reggae, hip hop, afrobeat, etc. You can visit my website at http://kickinsnare.ie/ for more info about the services that I provide. Examples of previous work are also included.

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

A: We provide: - professional mixing services in a variety of genres for clients who have recorded their demos, singles, EP's or albums. - professional mastering services for clients who are aiming to release music on a record label and music platforms or for somebody who simply wants the music to be played at live events. - professional post-production services for clients who are creating a short video for tv or animation, promotions or live events.