Rock Production & Mixing

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

A: 1. How much does it cost to hire you as a producer? • My fee varies depending on the scale and complexity of your project, so the best thing you can do is message me detailing the specifics of your project. 2. What's your turnaround time? • Turnaround time for a mix is typically a week. Productions can take anything from a few weeks to several months. 3. Can I hear examples of your previous work? • Yes, you can hear an example of my production work here on my profile page. Some highlights of my mixing work can be found on Soundcloud. 4. How do we communicate and collaborate remotely? • I generally prefer to use Zoom for communicating with clients, and Drive for sharing files. I am flexible and will use whatever you prefer though. 5. What genres do you specialize in? • My primary focus is on Rock, Indie, and Alternative music, but I'm versatile and can adapt to various genres and styles. I am willing to give anything a go.

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

A: I think people misunderstand how much of a difference there is between producing a song vs mixing or recording a song. Production entails getting highly involved in every part of the process of creating a track, from working on the arrangement, suggesting instrumentation, and contributing parts yourself. You are the creative director, basically. It's a lot of roles condensed into one.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: - What type of project are you working on (e.g., album, single, EP, soundtrack)? - Do you have a deadline? - Can you describe the musical style or genre? - Do you have any specific musical references or inspirations that you'd like to share? - What role do you expect me to play in your project (e.g., producer, mixer, session musician)? - If looking to collaborate remotely, what platforms are preferred? (e.g. Zoom, Dropbox, Drive)? - Are there any specific instruments or equipment you want to be used in the production? - Can you share any previous music projects or recordings you've been involved in? - Are there specific aspects of your past work that you'd like to replicate or improve upon?

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

A: If you want to hire me to mix stems you have recorded, aim to record high quality tracks. The old adage of garbage in, garbage out applies to mixing. If you want to hire me for production work, ensure you have a good idea about what sound you have in mind before contacting me. Artists who inspire you and can be used as references are very useful for me. Also try to make sure your songs are as close to finished as possible. I am happy to help finish songs that need a bit more work, but it does mean the project will take longer and I may have to charge more as a result.

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

A: I started songwriting in 2010, and experimented with recording for 8 years before starting to take it seriously in 2018. Since 2018, I have recorded three full length albums of my own original material, and have worked with many local artists on their own songs.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Record as if you have no intention to mix. Never settle for a mediocre sound at the source and say you'll fix it later. You will save yourself so much time in the long run and you productions will improve significantly.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is comprised of a live room for recording, and a control room for mixing. I have a 32 multitrack Studio Live Series iii mixer, and a varied collection of microphones to cover all recording scenarios. When it comes to mixing, I have many high quality plugins by the likes of Waves and Soundtoys, and many software instruments, including Amplitube, Keyscape, and Philharmonik. My choice of DAW is Studio One.

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

A: In terms of artists who inspire me, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Smashing Pumpkins, Hendrix and Jeff Beck would be among my top picks. In terms of producers, Butch Vig, Mick Ronson, George Martin, Darrell Thorp, Brian Wilson and Tony Visconti are some of the top names that come to mind.

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

A: I was the producer of Goodnight Vincent's EP "Don't Lose Your Soul". As my first major project with another artist, it was a great experience, though at times daunting, as I had to navigate many unforeseen difficulties throughout the production. At the time, I was working on a laptop, which was prone to overheating and CPU spikes. This made tracking a stressful process at times! On top of that, the band were operating on a very tight deadline, so we had to rush the recording process. All things considered, the project turned out to be a success, with the EP receiving great feedback from critics and the bands fans.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am in the early phase of pre-production for a full length album with Goodnight Vincent, and I have two other projects ongoing with local bands. Aside from that, I am working on a fourth album of my own original music.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I used to prefer Analog, but I have since embraced the benefits of digital. The primary reason for this shift was convenience. Digital offers a level of flexibility that's hard to match. Also, today's digital plugins are high quality, often capturing the warmth and character of analog equipment while providing the convenience of a digital workflow. I do have some Analog gear on my wishlist. But for me, they are things that would be nice to have, rather than a necessity.

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

A: I won't sign off on anything until both you and I are 100% satisfied. Quality work and your project's success are my top priorities.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: One of the most rewarding aspects of being a music producer is the huge satisfaction that comes from helping someone bring their creative vision to life. I love collaborating with artists and transforming their musical ideas into fully realized productions. One of my favourite moments is when I sit down with an artist and listen to the final mix with them, and the culmination of all our combined efforts is unveiled. Another thing I love about this job is the perpetual challenge it poses, particularly during the recording phase of a production. When starting a production, we often begin with raw ideas and it's all very barebones. You have to build it up to a finished song over time. I liken it to a painter working with a canvas. Recording the rhythm section of a band is akin to doing the basic sketch, and then you have to fill in all the details.

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

A: I typically work on Rock, Folk, Alternative and Indie, but I am open to any project that I think is a good fit for me.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I am able to come up with ideas in the studio fast, making producing a fun and engaging experience for both myself and clients.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: When producing, I bring my unique creative ideas and my skills as a multi-instrumentalist to the table. I am able to contribute things such as Bass, Lead Guitar, Keys, Synths, Percussion and Backing Vocals to your song. As a songwriter myself, I also know many techniques to get the most out of your track. As a mixing engineer, I complete most of the mix with the volume faders alone. I think this is the most important stage of the process. In general, when approaching any project, I always look to remain true to the artists creative vision.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I have established a workflow that I typically follow for both production and mixing. My Production workflow is as follows: 1: Pre-production - Enhancing the song on a fundamental level, suggesting changes to the arrangement, lyrics, melody etc. 2: Recording the Rhythm Section - I typically start with the Drums (if there are any) and then add the Rhythm section from there. 3: Overdubs 4: Mixing, Revisions and Mastering My Mixing workflow follows this basic outline: 1: Setting Levels - Volume, Panning 2: Corrective EQ, and fixing major problems. 3: Additive EQ & Compression 4: Verb, Delay and other FX 5: Automation 6: Revisions & Final Master

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

A: Mixing, Production and Session Work