Metal Mix Engineer & Vocalist

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

A: I wrote, recorded & mixed all songs for my band's first album, "The Affection" by SEVENSENT. I've been working on that material since I was a teenager, and finally seeing it come to life was incredibly rewarding.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: First version: just get started, first thought - best thought. Then it's a looong process of listening, re-listening, and then listening some more. Being open to client feedback is also paramount.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I can remember making my own music as a young songwriter & being constantly afraid that the work of the people I hired, with the little money I had, wouldn't live up to my expectations. I want to be that person that paints a smile on the artist's face, what I provide is the feeling that someone took your idea seriously and breathed life into it.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't get so lost in the details that you end up losing the bigger picture. Perfection isn't perfect.

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

A: Well, I once had a blast singing on a hybrid rock-bossa nova song, but modern Metal is definitely my genre of specialization :)

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I can usually intuit the artist's vision and enhance it.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Raw aggression! And usually some melancholy. I also like things to sound big, so I'm a fan of layering and intricate productions.

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

A: As far as vocals are concerned, I'd say most singers who can deliver raspy, high pitched and moving performances: Chester Bennington, Chris Cornell, Layne Staley, Corey Taylor, M.Shadows, Einar Solberg, Sam Carter are a few names which come to mind. As a producer and engineer, I really have a soft spot for Devin Townsend, Chris Lord-Alge, Peter Tagtgren and Zakk Cervini. And as a composer, can I cite Nobuo Uematsu and Akira Yamaoka?

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work 100% in the box: Universal Audio interface & preamps, Sennheiser HD600 headphones (Sonarworks calibrated) plus my beloved Avantone MixCube for mono monitoring; I sing into a Shure SM7B microphone with Neve preamp, 1176 compression & Pultec EQ UAD sims, and I have a vast collection of sound libraries for production purposes (Komplete 12 Ultimate, Steven Slate drums, PunkBass & all the Odeholm audio basses, most Neural DSP amp sims and BIAS FX 2, Serum synth & XO sampler), while my plugin selection is a mix of FabFilter, Waves, Slate, iZotope & SoundToys.

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

A: Have an idea of the finished product that's as clear as possible. Send references, give honest feedback, go for what you actually want. The more you help me, the more I can help you.

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

A: I started as a classical piano player at the age of 6, moved on to drums at the age of 15, studied at the Collective School of Music in New York, toured a bunch of countries and recorded at the Saltime Studios in Mesa. I remember writing my first song in my early teens, and I've been singing & professionally audio engineering since the early 2010s.

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

A: Up & coming bands & recording artists with fresh ideas - I find those are often the most thrilling projects!

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

A: Great communication & teamwork. You will be listened to, and you will be happy with the final result.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Raw, aggressive, from the gut.

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

A: I started with the intention of focusing on mixing, but the amount of requests for vocal recordings have been (happily) overwhelming! So I'm currently splitting my days between vocal & engineering duties.