Audio Mixing and Production

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

A: Demos for my band Cadigan. I engineered and mixed fully tracked demos for our upcoming full length record. It was a lot of fun and helped a ton to establish things we wanted to do in the studio for the final recordings.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Video game music!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. There are benefits to each in different situations. There is no one solution to everything. Digital has come a long way and is completely valid in a lot of situations.

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

A: Lasting quality on any budget.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Allowing artists on any budget to have a quality recording that will last through the years. Being able to go back and listen to something you did 10-20 years ago and still be able to enjoy the quality is really important to me, whether it was some quick home demo, or a full album.

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

A: Speed and time. Good engineering takes time. Breaks are important to keep fatigue at bay.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I like to figure out what production sound you like or are looking for specifically with the track(s) at hand. It's super important to know what's in your mind about it before we get too far into the process and veer off from your goals.

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

A: Go with your gut. If my services sound like what you are going for, then let's do this. If not, it's totally okay. Every artist and song can have different needs.

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

A: Good headphones or speakers, something that can play Spotify, Drums, Guitar, Piano

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

A: I've been a drummer for most of my life in various bands and have dipped my hand in production here and there along the way. Over the past 5 years or so I've really grown to love the engineering and post production side of things. I'm hoping to grow a career providing these services.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I usually keep to a clean natural sound, but it really depends on the music.

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

A: You! I love working with new people and trying to raise the quality bar for everyone. It's an awesome opportunity to hear new music all the time.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Take breaks and reference!

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

A: I've been sticking to Rock, acoustic and indie because it's what I know best. However I'm not afraid to tackle something outside of my comfort zone.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: As a drummer, I'd have to say I'm strongest with drum mixing :)

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Transparency and communication. This is your music after all. I'm here to facilitate getting the final sound you desire. The more I share with you through the process, the easier it is to reach our mutual goal.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: As an artist, you are likely to have some kind of idea or reference for what you're looking for in the final mix of your track. It's important to me that we discuss all of the thoughts and requests before I even start listening to the track. This also includes just how creative you'd like me to be during mixing, or if you'd rather I stick to a reference as close as possible. Being on the same page makes everything much easier along the way. For mixing, I think it's important to get a good grasp of the whole picture before getting creative. I like to establish a very basic leveling mix to hear all the instrumentation and vocals (if applicable) and see what the vibe of the song is while considering and notes from you. From there I'll generally have a good idea of where I want to take the sound. I generally start with drums and move through the stems from there. For a live drum track, communication is key. I will make sure to address any thoughts and concerns before I sit down to record anything. After we are all confident in moving forward, I will record a demo take of the track for review. We will discuss as much as needed and will either move forward with a second demo take for final review, or if you are already happy with the first demo, I will continue with the final take.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I'm mostly digital for post production. Studio One and Ableton Live 11 DAWs. Waves, Slate Digital, Klevgrand for plugins. My drum kit is a Pearl Export Mahogany with a Yamaha Absolute Maple Nouveau Snare. Meinle Classic Custom Black Cymbals. I also have a Arturia Keystep 32 for any MIDI needs. Interfaces and Mics: Focusrite Clarett 8Pre. PreSonus Studio 1824C. FMR Audio RNC1773 Compressor. Audix DP-5A 5-Piece mic kit. Oktava MK-012-01 MSP2. Shure SM-57. Sterling Audio ST-55. Neat King Bee. Sennheiser e906.

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

A: I've always been more into punk and rock as far as personal listening and inspiration goes. I really admire the drumming of Neil Hennessy from The Lawrence Arms and George Rebelo from Hot Water Music. Some records that I really like the production and sound of are "Louder Now" by Taking Back Sunday, "you'll be fine" by Hot Mulligan and the Doom soundtrack by Mick Gordon.

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

A: I provide mixing and mastering for rock, acoustic or indie artists.