Producer, Mixer, Engineer

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

A: I'm honestly proud of all the work that's listed in my profile.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm answering questions for the Soundbetter interview :)

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

A: I just got here, so I'll look around

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: everything starts and ends analog. What happens in between doesn't really matter.

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

A: My job is to make your record sound as great as it can be. I never "phone it in".

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love working on great music.

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

A: I think people will often reach out to professional to see whether the tracks they've recorded on their own are "good enough". It's tricky to respond, because I feel like they know the answer before they ask the question.

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

A: There's no such thing as the perfect sound. There's what works best for the song you're working on. Also, great sounds is just the start. A good mix will keep the listener engaged.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Honestly, I prefer to just get the tracks and make it sound great, at least at first. then we can talk about where it might need to go. I'm glad to talk through the process, but sometime's too much communication can actually mis-lead. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I didn't make a project the best it can be,

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

A: the mixing process might be the worst place in a project to try and save money. In other words, you get what you pay for

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

A: -Pro Tools w/ plugs and VI's -Focusrite ISA One pre-amp -Blue Mouse -MIDI keyboard -my old MIJ Strat

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

A: 30+ years. -garage-rock band in high school -studio audio engineer in college -worked at jingle studio in Chicago -recorded/produced indie records in Chicago -assistant engineer in LA -engineer/producer/mixer in LA. *also played in various bands throughout that time * occasionally compose music for TV and film

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I was raised on rock musician and AM pop. I like drums and bass forward and aggressive in the mix, even for pop music. I also like the vocal loud and upfront. I don't like anything that's too harsh because I want the listener to be able to listen loud.

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

A: I don't think that way, honestly. If an artist is doing something I already love, then what would I have to add? I get more excited when I hear a new artist that has tons of potential, but could use some guidance. Those are projects I look forward to most.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: pop music isn't repetition, its' the illusion of repetition.

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

A: mostly rock and pop music, but I've done a bit of everything.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I think I can hear the finished mix in my head, and I can usually get it there.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: It's not enough to have a collection of good sounding tracks. A great production/mix will keep the listener engaged. If the listener is scrolling on their phone instead of listening for the next section, then I haven't done the work.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I try to make my first mix pass represent "what sounds like a record to me". Of course, I'll revise to make it in-line w/ the artists' vision, but I feel like it's my job to "finish" the production, so everything I send to a client should sound like a record.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My mix room is deigned for starting AND finishing projects. I can mix and do overdubs. I have a 7.1.4 Atmos monitoring system. I obviously have a Pro Tools and Logic rig

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

A: my personal mentors are Joe Chiccarelli, Jim Scott and Don Smith. I also admire many producers like Nigel Goodrich, George Martin, Chris Thomas, Trevor Horn, Lick Naunay, Glyn and Andy Johns. too many to list

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

A: As much as I love engineering (tracking), I mostly get calls for mixing, often with additional production. I think of it as "finishing".