Mix Engineering

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I've had to spend a lot of time working with budget recordings made under very non-ideal environments. While these will never sound as good as a recording made with high-end gear, I've developed a collection of techniques to bring out the best in these budget recordings.

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

A: I once mixed a rock opera that was loosely based on a story about the Flint, MI water crisis. They eventually released the album with a portion of the proceeds going to different charity groups working to provide clean drinking water to the citizens of Flint.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Right now I'm mixing an experimental rock album that's part of a collaboration of myself and two other Central Wisconsin musicians.

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

A: Anybody in the April Base gang is probably a good bet if you're looking to get really high quality work.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I hate this question. Both, but it depends on the context. I've never had to splice tape, but compared to digital editing I can't imagine anybody wanting to actually edit using magnetic tape. Likewise, for certain type of gain effects even the best VSTs leave something to be desired, imo. The same is true with digital reverb to a certain extent. My philosophy is to take a balanced approach.

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

A: I will make you sound your absolute best.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love "wowing" other musicians. Raw recordings can sound awful without proper mixing, so it's always fun to get the client who's blown away by hearing what they sound like with a proper mix.

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

A: Question: How long will it take to mix my song? My answer: While I generally shoot for have the initial draft mix completed within one week, it can very depending on my schedule. It can also happen a lot sooner too if you're recordings are well organized and labeled appropriately. The less back-and-forth we have to do when it comes to setting up the mix, the faster I'll get the first draft to you. From there, it's up to the artist to give me timely feedback so I can make whatever mix revisions they need. This can happen quickly, like within a week, if I get fast and detailed feedback. It can also get drawn out for months if communication is a struggle.

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

A: I don't write the music or track parts for you. That would cost extra! ;-)

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I like to start with an open dialog at first so I can understand what questions to ask, but I generally like to spend time asking about who or what they want to sound like.

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

A: Have your recordings properly labeled and organized.

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

A: Is there electricity on this island? Ha! If not, I'd bring an acoustic guitar. But if I can get electricity, I'd bring a minimal recording setup - laptop, interface, reference monitors and a mic.

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

A: I've been mixing for about 10 years without any formal training, but I've spent countless hours training myself through books and videos, and more importantly just doing projects. Each project is a completely different learning experience.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I would say I have a very Dave Fridmann type style. I like to highlight sounds with complimentary effects as a way to bring them out.

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

A: Sam Beam - I love his voice!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Spend the bulk of your time doing recording takes for the most important part in your songs. In many cases this ends up being vocals. I advise clients to do at least 10 vocal takes in a session and edit those down to a single solid track.

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

A: I've usually work on electronic, rock, and folk stuff. I can also do more abstract genres like ambient and even classical.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Proper mixing should add clarity, depth, and character to each part in a song. I'll use my extensive knowledge of eq, compression, gain staging, effects blending, reamping, and other techniques to that end. Put together, the overall mix should sound cohesive, like it was recorded in a single room. It should also have focused energy in the rhythm section (depending on the style).

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I'm big on communication. I like to do an initial consolation to understand your goals and the scope of the work, but will likely be reaching out to you for questions throughout the process. Likewise, I will respond promptly to any questions or concerns you have. I require at least half the estimated cost of the work up front, but the post payment function here is fine too. Once I have all the files to start mixing, I'll present draft mixes within 1 week (per song for larger projects). Draft mixes are in compressed format with the last few seconds of the song removed. I'll provide up to 4 mix revisions per song to get the sound you desire, but additional revisions can be purchased if necessary (usually 4 revisions is plenty). Once I have the final payment, I'll send you the uncompressed mastered mixes.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: - Custom built PC running Ableton Live - Avantone CLA10 (a Yamaha NS10M clone) reference monitors - RME hdspe pcie interface with two Ferrofish ADAT breakout boxes for a total of 32 channels in/out - BAE 500-series chassis with multiple BAE 1073 preamps - A custom-built plate reverb cabinet, mounted to my basement wall. - A multitude of effects processors and pedals - Mics, pedals, guitars, keyboards, synths... too numerous to mention

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

A: On the production side: Butch Vig, Bruce Swedien, Dave Fridmann, Brian Joseph, BJ Burton... too many others to mention.

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

A: I primarily do mix engineering and mastering for musicians and bands.