Award-Winning Mix Engineer

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

A: I recently finished a project for a Swedish artist who is releasing a single in Finland but lives in Dubai and whose manager lives in Paris. The artist wanted me to produce and mix a song she had already shot a music video for but had fallen out of love with the original production which was done elsewhere. So she sent over the vocal files, I produced a new version, sent it back and hoped that she and her manager would like it, which they did. The manager used to be a sound engineer so he was able to articulate the small production and mix changes they wanted really well. When things work out in situations like that, it’s awesome and I’m still blown away by how much can be achieved online across the world.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm working with some great new artists signed to big UK management companies who will hopefully emerge as shining lights in the near future.

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

A: I just got here, but I will certainly take a look around:)

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital - I'm completely 'in the box' when it comes to mixing. Plugins today sound amazing and I've had one of the most famous mix engineers in the world tell me that a preset piano sound from a virtual instrument I used was one of the best "live piano sounds" he's ever heard, so there you go.

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

A: That I'll work my butt off to make you sound great!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: That it's so varied and that I can work with so many talented artists and writers from around the world.

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

A: Whether I can manage them. And the answer is no:)

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

A: That it's easy to write & produce a hit pop song!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I try to understand their project and what they're aiming for as much as possible and ask for any reference tracks they may have in terms of sound/style etc. that I can use as a reference.

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

A: Do it! I'll work extremely hard to make sure I deliver the best possible result.

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

A: My Mac Pro 'trash can.' Avid Omni interface with Pro Tools Audio Technika 4050 Mic Amphion Monitors Broadband!

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

A: I was a musician first and foremost. I studied classical music at school and jazz piano at university before joining a famous rock band in South Africa, (which is where I'm from), and moving to London with them. After the band, I started writing my own material which inspired me to start producing my own songs which led to producing for other artists. I've been working as a producer for the past 12 years now.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I'd describe it as commercial.

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

A: I'm a big fan of Jessie Ware and would love to get her into the studio sometime soon.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Make sure all your tracks except the bass and kick drum have a low-pass filter at around 150hz. (Lead vocals can have a low-pass filter at 80hz).

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

A: Anything with a commercial appeal, although I do some pretty niche stuff too, occasionally.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Co-writing and mixing. §

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: As a songwriter with several No.1 and Top 10 hits myself, hopefully I bring a bit of finesse to the melody and structure if the song needs it. As a producer, I try to translate what the artist or writer has in their head in terms of instrumentation, even if they can't articulate their thoughts 100%. And as a mix engineer, I always make sure that the vocal sounds pristine as the most important element in the mix and that the song has a world-class, professional shine.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: If I'm producing a song fro scratch, I'll usually work with the artist and map out the structure of the song in Pro Tools first, (i.e. put in memory locations for the verses, choruses, etc). Next I'll lay down the chords on piano and get a simple groove up-and-running before recording a rough guide vocal. Once I have the vocal, I'll start building the track around it to make sure that all my musical parts work and that nothing clashes with the vocal melody.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I run Uptown Studios in London, which is a boutique recording studio in the UK's prestigious Matrix Complex. I use Pro Tools HD software with an Avid Omni interface, Genelec 8040 monitors, an Audio Technica 4050 Mic, TL Audio Ivory processor and hundreds of plugins and virtual instruments including the Waves Mercury bundle, SSL 4000 collection, Komplete 10 Ultimate, AIR Creative collection and many more. My studio has a pro vocal booth which is ideal for recording vocals and acoustic guitars and I've also been involved in thousands of multimedia projects involving bespoke audio production and/or voice over work.

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

A: I'm inspired by great songs that manage to connect with a huge audience. 9 times out of 10 it's a combination of the simplicity of the production and the balance of the mix which gets me, (with a great song, of course). I think producing is often about finding the right palette of sounds that just sound 'right' as opposed to trying to do too much and potentially losing the essence of the song in the process.

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

A: I work with a wide range of artists and songwriters across most genres from singer-songwriters to boy/girl bands and DJs to broadway/west-end stars. Most of these artists tend to rely on me to produce their tracks from scratch and program all the parts for them. After winning the Modern Mixing 'Oxygen' mix contest, I've also been getting a lot of mixing work from artists who have recorded elsewhere.