Christian Thomas on SoundBetter

Hi! I am a musician and audio engineer. I grew up in a musical family performing at an early age and eventually being insatiably curious about my dad's home recording studio. Since then my passion for recording and mixing has turned into obsession. It's my joy when your idea comes to life and I am privileged to have had a helping hand in it.

Mixing

One of the reasons I got into mixing was I wanted control over my music and how it sounded. And I was frustrated with the technical part of recording covering up the original intent of the song. DIY requires a lot of learning, time, pain, and joy, but it was worth it. I love it when a musician comes to me with tracks that they can't quite get sounding like they've envisioned and I'm able to honor their effort and make the absolute best of what they've brought.

I take a hybrid approach to mixing: In the box for automation and then summing some really nice outboard gear.

For a current list of what would be at your disposal see http://christianthomas.me/gear

I have been fortunate enough to have lots of experience doing live sound all over NYC and recording and mixing a bit for Mason Jar Music. These days I pretty much do everything from my home studio in New Jersey.
Session Work on Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Trumpet, and Vocals

My primary focus in school was music. I was a Trumpet major and Guitar minor and have been playing in ensembles and traveling bands since I was ten. I'll lay down some acoustic, electric, horns, or vocals on your tracks if that's what you think you need.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Credits

4 Reviews

Endorse Christian Thomas

by Jeni Magana
Verified (Client)
Christian was so fun and easy to work with! I was sent all of the info I needed to get started with no problems and the track sounded great!
by Philip Bowen
Verified (Client)
Talented artist. Easy to work with. Great communication. Would work with Christian again any time!!
by Simon Miminis
Verified (Client)
Absolutely beautiful song and a true pleasure to work with!
by Noah W.
Verified
Christian has a superb ear. Combine that with a deep knowledge of digital and analog precesses, refined and nuanced mixing skills and the fact that he is responsive, kind and very creative- he is the engineer you want to hire. He is also adaptable, he has an innate sense for what a song needs and as a producer he will provide bold and memorable ideas to enhance your song. I loved working with Christian every step of the way and will definitely work with him again.

Interview with Christian Thomas

Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both, use digital domain for excellent workflow around capture and playback, use Analog effects and summing to bring in the vibe. The performance is what matters most.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What their inspirations are and vision for the song
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Talk to me!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: 1. SM57 2. Tascam Portastudio 3. My Collings DS2H 4. Beyerdynamic DT770 5. That's it I guess!
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been a musician since I was 5. My mother and father were both church musicians. I went to school and was scholarshipped on trumpet. My dad always had a home studio though and I got bit by the bug of recording my own music early.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Aoife O'Donovan. She's nothing short of magical.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Less looking, more listening.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Any
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Listening to you and translating that into results.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I'll ask for you inspirations and vision for your tracks and get a rough mix out to you immediately. We'll go through revision one with your notes either through email, or a zoom video conference call where we can mix live with HD audio routing. Sit on those mixes for a bit and see what you love about them and come at me with round two. That's it for the most part. If you want more revisions per track it will be $35 / per revision. When you're happy with your mixes I'd recommend sending them out to Telegraph Mastering of Portland, OR. I've had great experiences with them in the past.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Naturalistic. I want to honor the content and performance you've brought me. I don't like tuning and I don't like tons of surgery. If the drums sound like they were recorded in a practice room, I'm not going to try and make a mix that convinces you you're in an arena. I'd say there's something primal and endearing about the way they sound in a practice room, but if you want an bigger more open sound, re-track them in a big room.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I've got a small setup in my apartment. I've tried to pack every square inch of it with gear that lends vibe and versatility. I can do a lot with a little bit. The most unique thing in my rig is the Ekadek Klangenschmitt Brooklyn summing mixer. I had it custom made by Greg of Ekadek in NZ. It's very Nevish and then some. I loved the idea of the Radial XTC-SA guitar pedal interface so I had him built it into the mixer. I love routing stuff through my pedal board or reverb tank. I've treated the room enough and my Focals, headphones, and vintage TEAC speakers can give me all the right angles for determining a portable mix.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Engineers: Larry Crane, Joe Meek, Glyn Johns, Gary Paczosa Musicians: Sufjan Stevens, Nickel Creek, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Mixing