Remote Mixing & Mastering

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Two music library CDs for two publisher that place them on TV, a few new bands I am starting mixing their EPS in two weeks , Moguls of Mayhem, Reginald Germain and the Righteous Rebels and a few local singer songwriters that have some great songs.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both why not ?

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Everything, playing music, arranging it , problem solving the puzzle of a mix, meeting people as passionate about what they do as I am

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

A: If you are so good and fast why does it take 3-8 hours to mix or play guitar or produce a 3 minute song ? I usually refer them to my Youtube channel which has many videos showing and explaining how pro productions layer many tracks to achieve their sound. I also have great " Before & After " mixing examples. You can hear the detail and details take time. If they don't have the budget I offer many alternatives that are always way better than what they can do at home.

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

A: That it takes if a song is 3-4 minutes long you can make it sound like a record in that time ! ( see below )

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I always joke and ask them if you had a magic wand what would you want this to sound like ? Then we work back from their depending on their budget usually.

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

A: Always explain all your influences, direction, what the emotion of the song is about etc - before starting. Send me examples of other artists the more information I have the better I can find your vision. But a lot of folks like the work and some just say " Do your thing "

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

A: The gear is great it makes everything better - I have a lot of it ! But without the people in the room none of it matters

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

A: I have been playing guitar for over 30 years, played thousands of gigs in that time, been writing for music libraries, film and TV since 1993 and have been producing since then as well. Along the way took lots of lessons, went to music school and met a lot of great talented people.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Open. I have a very organized method that hopefully the artist never notices and enjoys the process - and in the end loves the outcome.

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

A: In terms of a major artist probably Peter Gabriel since he encompasses all these qualities. In reality any artist or songwriter that is committed to their music and true to its direction I always welcome helping them find their musical vision.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't discuss ideas, try them all. There are no bad ideas just ones that are better for specific songs.

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

A: A wide variety. Mostly anything with soul. Mixing we do all styles, composing and production we specialize in guitar oriented music and anything else with life, heart & soul.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Being a songwriter & musician first, growing up in the NY scene performing then recording, I have experienced all the things any artist goes through. So empathy and communication with the artist is paramount, also the technical ability to execute is pretty good to have in the skill set too !

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Professional level sound, excitement and emotion so the production, arrangement and mix enhance the direction and vibe of your song.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: For mixing or production we have very detailed templates in Pro Tools & Logic. When mixing we usually phase align all the tracks, organize them and run many through our great analog compressors and EQs, then we import into our mix template and begin the mix process. We have all our favorite digital and analog settings ready to mix so we can be creative and achieve your musical vision.Of course all of this happens after we have had a great discussion about the direction of the song, your sonic ideas and I've heard the rough mixes a few hundred times !

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Our studio is a hybrid digital analog setup. First we have very accurate monitors ( and expensive ! ) the ATC sm25a Pro- in an acoustically create room. We have great conversion- Burl, Dangerous & Lynx. we have awesome front end mic pre's BAE API & Neve's & GML, all the plug ins and great analog outboard. In addition we have a large arsenal of vintage and boutique guitars, amid and pedals. The entire studio is always wired up and ready to compose, record or mix at any time.

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

A: On the musician/ producer side, John Shanks, Daniel Lanois, Bob Rock, Brendan O Brian. From a mixers standpoint, Bob Clearmountain, Chris Lord Alge and Andy Wallace. There are many musicians - Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Black Sabbath. There are so many too numerous to mention, since we have years of experience and influences

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

A: Mixing, full song production, guitar tracks ( session guitarist ) & custom original music