Mixing-Producer-Session Guitar

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

A: My biggest international project was the scoring/soundtrack for "Wild Horses of the Eastern Barrier Islands" documentary, made in US and released in 2017 on PBS. The creators of this documentary are professionals in their field and have produced many popular films and series in the United States. I am glad to have had the chance to work for them for 6 years to learn how things are done at a high level.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I compose music for various video projects, mixing/master music for local bands, work on a personal album, and produce jingles that I sell on various platforms.

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

A: Leonat Valentin, he's a great electronic music producer and engineer.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Nowadays, digital technology has evolved significantly. When it comes to electric guitar, I prefer a hybrid system, but for mixing and mastering, plugins like Acustica Audio have come very close to analog. Personally, I use Acustica Audio plugins in every mix, and I don't feel the need to invest in hardware.

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

A: I will prioritize their vision and desires, and I will do everything I can to achieve my goals.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I enjoy being able to help musicians get closer to their dreams that they have had since they embarked on this path. I also enjoy the fact that my work consists of separate projects that I have to successfully complete. For each project, I have to adapt and provide what is needed, whether it requires creativity, technical precision, or playing the guitar. No two days are alike.

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

A: Some clients wanted to know if I can work very quickly, probably because they had a deadline. My answer is yes, I can do that. I am accustomed to working under pressure; there have been times when I had to produce 10 songs from scratch in 14 days.

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

A: Sometimes people think that if you're a guitarist, you're more bohemian and lack the necessary ability to concentrate on work like production or sound engineering.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I want to know if they have a clear vision of the project, and I make sure that I have understood exactly what they want.

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

A: Don't try to copy another musician; it's best to do what you feel. A unique artist has a better chance of succeeding, and you will always have inspiration if you stay true to yourself. Sound engineering and production represent a process of polishing the diamond, which is the artist, with all their thoughts and personality expressed in the music. I prefer something authentic, even if it needs improvement.

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

A: My G&L ASAT Special guitar, my Laney amp, MIDI keyboard, laptop and audio interface.

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

A: I have been playing the guitar since 2004 and have played in several bands (still do), and in 2007, I started recording my own music. Shortly after, I began creating music for films and jingles. I started taking mixing and mastering more seriously in 2011 when I began working on some international projects at a higher level. Since 2014, I have been working with bands also, offering services such as recording, mixing, and mastering.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is a mix between classic and modern music. I am very sensitive and attentive to melody, musical themes, and what the music I work on conveys. I strive to highlight these aspects every time.

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

A: RHCP, Muse, Manic Street Preachers, Sting, Morrissey, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Norah Jones, because their music contains many elements that I enjoy : musicality, rhythm, poetry, creativity, and unpredictability.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: I believe that perfection in music production, as we envision it in our minds as sound engineers, doesn't exist. Instead, we should strive to find character and energy.

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

A: I prefer to work with Pop, Rock, Funk, Acoustic, R&B music, etc. Music that includes instruments like drums, bass, guitar, piano, vocals, synthesizer. I am less drawn to electronic music, at least from a professional standpoint.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: It could be the fact that I am a musician myself and understand musicians. I know the entire process they go through, and we communicate very well.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: My goal is to make the production sound at a high level. Being a musician myself, I am very familiar with music from different eras, and I know how to play it. As a producer, I have also been interested in how music from different eras was created. I can say that I am a bit of a geek when it comes to studio equipment and production techniques, and I appreciate a wide range of musical genres. These things are part of my experience that I bring to every project, aiming to improve every aspect of the music, not just to achieve a commercial sound.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: The first thing I do is understand the client's vision before I bring in my own ideas. This gives me a direction, and things become simpler.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: On the corner of my room, my couch is the place where I compose. There, I have an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, and a small amplifier that helps me create in peace. Next to my desk, I have the necessary equipment for recording the electric guitar: two amplifiers, a multitude of pedals, and my well-maintained guitars. I have access to a studio for recording the guitar using microphones, but in my home studio, I have found other methods to record without compromising quality. I have amplifiers, attenuators, preamplifiers, and pedals with impulse responses that allow me to create tones without relying on the computer. However, I also have high-quality software that simulates guitar amplifiers. Finally, when it comes to production and mixing, I have many plugins and decent monitors. Apart from guitar, bass, and vocals, I do all the production on the computer, where I have a wide range of virtual instruments.

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

A: Joe Chiccarelli and Chris Lord-Alge are two producers who inspire me a lot. I admire what they do, and I have learned a great deal from them by following their production courses. And musicians like Steve Stevens, Cory Wong, Tim Pierce, Steve Lukather, and Pete Thorn are some of the ones who keep me going when things are not going too well.

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

A: This would be music for various video projects. I work directly with people who are looking for music, but I also upload music to several platforms that sell music licenses. In other words, I compose, record, mix, and master every day, for over 12 years. Two other things that musicians frequently request from me are mixing and mastering.