Drummer/Mixing Engineer

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

A: I joined the band Phantom Divine somewhat at the 11th hour of their debut album. I came on, re-recorded the drums, and mixed and mastered the album and I believe I added another 10% of excellence to the brilliantly written songs.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: A secret tribute to the band Rush, of a slightly large scale!

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Not yet, but I am looking forward to networking on this platform.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: For me, digital. I like flexibility, and I can do anything with digital. I can use an emulation of an old 1176 on a vocal, and use a cutting-edge reverb for the strings, and I can open the session and make tweaks for the clients in minutes.

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

A: I am committed to delivering the best product for your song. I have three included revisions in my rates, but for small fees I can continue to work on your music and make it the best it can be.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Working with artists to elevate their music to the next level.

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

A: I often get asked why I don't use analogue outboard gear. My answer is that it does not matter what I use. What is important is how I hear the finished product and work to get there. Whether on an analog console or a laptop, which piece of gear one uses does not matter, it's what they do with what they have that is important.

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

A: In music school, I got somewhat pigeon-holed as "the metal drummer", but I have interests in so many genres of music, and love to play any style anyone wants me too.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Whether drumming or mixing, please give me references and do your best to describe a clear image of what you are looking for.

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

A: If you have any questions, please reach out and start a dialogue. I have many other skills that I can help your project along with.

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

A: My DW Collector's maple snare drum, 9000 double bass drum pedal, Paiste 2002 Power Ride cymbal, Shure SM7b, and my laptop with Nuendo.

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

A: I started playing drums at the age of 10, and music immediately took over my entire life. I played as much as I could, and performed as often as possible. While in university studying for a music diploma, I became interested in the recording studio, and changed my major to study that path. Since graduating, I have mixed hundreds of songs and played hundreds of shows.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: As a drummer, I want the music to be exciting, engaging, and full of energy. I lay down a solid groove, often structured around the vocal melody, or a great riff, and support the energy of the song through dynamic changes. I am also not afraid to let loose when necessary. Sometimes the feeling of a musician pushing their limit is exactly what a song needs to keep the listener engaged. My mixing approach is similar. I want my mixes to be as expansive and as engaging as possible, and use dynamic fader rides and other automation to create a journey.

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

A: As a lifelong fan, I would absolutely love the chance to mix a song by Rush for Dolby Atmos.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't overthink. Pay attention to detail, but don't get sucked down a hole on small details that don't impact the big picture.

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

A: I frequently get hired to work on heavy metal and rock, but I am capable of producing great results in country, hip-hop, jazz, and EDM.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is my ability to see the big picture of a song. I have a clear perspective of how the whole song should feel as an experience and all my work is towards perfecting that.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring energy, drive, and out-of-the-box ideas.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When approaching a drum part, I start with just trying to get an understanding of the structure of the song. If there is a drum demo, I will listen to that and see what sort of feel the artist is going for in each particular section. Once I can internalize the structure and message of the song, I go through it many more times and combine elements of the provided demo and sparks of my own ideas to create a part that elevates the energy of the song to its pinnacle. My mixing workflow is all about moving fast, making quick decisions, and never looking back. I work quickly to create depth, clarity, and cohesion in the mix, and then take many passes through the song, running automation, and "play" the mix to create a dynamic journey through the song.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My drum kit is a Tama Superstar Hyperdrive Maple, centered around a Drum Workshop Collector's maple snare drum, and a collection of various metal snares. I play Paiste 2002, 900, and PST7 cymbals. My mic collection is an assortment of Beyerdynamic, Shure, and Audio-Technica microphones, plugged into Midas preamps. I mix in-the-box in Nuendo, and rely heavily on a control surface to create movement and feeling in the mix.

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

A: The amazing Neil Peart, Simon Phillips, Mike Terrana, Chris Lord-Alge, Jacob Hansen, Mika Jussila

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

A: I often work on projects where I am playing drums on the songs and then mixing them when they are completed, but I do offer those services separately as well.