X-Music Studios / Rob Hill on SoundBetter

My name is Rob Hill, and I am a producer, mix engineer, and composer. I have worked with many artists over the years including Korn, the Cars, Cypress Hill, Everlast, Fuel, Deftones, Queen, Pat Green, Soul Assassins, etc. I am also a multi-instrumentalist, and write for artists as well as film, tv shows, and commercials in my private studio in LA.

I specialize in artist / song development, and production / arrangements. I really like to dig in and find the best version of your song, that perhaps you didn't even realize was there.

It is common that I do full instrumentation / programming for artist's songs and ideas.

I also take the same approach to mixing your songs. I will often add production enhancements, that help the song be as strong as it can possibly be to appeal to your widest potential fan base with a competitive sonic value to other current hits in your genre.

Click the 'Contact' above to get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Credits

Languages

English

3 Reviews

Endorse X-Music Studios / Rob Hill

by MadOhm
I had originally met Rob Hill during recording sessions for an EP project for “The Bourbon Saints” in 2014 and was humbly impressed with his astute talent, experience in the industry and top notch professionalism watching him single handedly execute the engineering, co production, arranging and mixing roles with precision yet, expeditiously to a finely finished product we were all excited about. We became friends during these sessions. I trusted him & wanted to work with him on my solo studio project “MadOhm” in 2016 and again in 2019. A couple of those songs are still getting global traction.
by Heather Porter
When you hire Rob Hill you’re getting an artist; someone who cares deeply about putting out a quality product and elevating your material as much as it can be and further. I’ve worked with Rob in various capacities, as an engineer and producer, as a mixer, and what I know is he drives you to be better than you thought you could be. He’ll ask the best of you because he will put in the best of himself. If you want someone to push you to be better than you imagined you could be, he’s the man for the job.
by Nancy Nisi
I work in radio and went to X-Music Studios to do some VO and mix commercial spots for on-air promos. His attention to detail and follow through were impeccable, so when I wanted to record a few songs to promote my personal band, I felt comfortable going to Rob due to our past working experience. He worked closely with all of my bandmates and helped them perfect their individual parts. With my vocal parts, he made the process comfortable, but pushed me when necessary, and offered harmony ideas I would not have thought of. I now have a demo that I am proud of that helps me get more gigs!

Interview with X-Music Studios / Rob Hill

Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Do the big moves 1st and don't get caught up in the minutia. Always consider your "next" work your "best" work, and never stop progressing.
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I was the engineer / editor for Queen's "Night at the Opera" 5.1 remix for DTS. I flew to the world-famous Abbey Road Studios in London and worked closely with guitarist Brian May and Elliott Scheiner in reimagining this classic body of work.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I have several things in the works at the moment, some TV commercial spots, and orchestral composition, a singer songwriter, and a metal band.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Oliver Charles, drummer from Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, and Gogol Bordello, etc.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I use both, but everything ends up digital in the end. I have a wide variety of tube gear, and microphones, as well as vintage amplifiers, and guitars. With the advancements in technology, the sonic quality of DAWs and plug-ins are equal to, and often surpass the analog versions.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: That I will be honest in my opinions, and I will put in 100% effort to helping you make your music the best it can be,
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Helping people vividly color in their black & white dreams..
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Can / will you do this for free or lowball money?? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! Everything I do has / brings value, as does everything they do. The sooner an artist realizes their own value the better their art will become.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That the process is quick, and formulaic. This is quite untrue. Every song / project deserves its own bespoke process.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What is your end goal? Do you have previous works / music I can listen to? What / who are your current favorite artists you most enjoy listening to.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Be prepared to expand your ideas and put in extra work to get to the goal line.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Laptop, UA interface, a good LDC microphone, a midi controller, and a guitar.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I briefly attended Berklee College of Music, I was then the buyer for Tower records and learned more about music of all genres than I could have ever imagined. I worked as production sample library creator, I then advised a major music production software company, and started working with legends, like Greg Ladanyi, Phil Ramone, Frank Filipetti, Elliot Scheiner and the rest is history.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Honest and clean sounding productions with as much vibe as I can conjure from the source material.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would really love to do a No Doubt reunion album. I think the world is ready for another smash hit record from them.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: As of late, I have been doing a lot of music for film and TV and a lot of metal / hard rock!!!
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Knowing when to stop a production / mix! This is something that comes in time, once your fear of finishing subsides.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring my honest opinion on what should / could happen to make the song be the best possible version.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I usually start by listening to the to the song demo or the studio tracks for a mix scenario. I assess the emotion or lack thereof that happens after a few listens. I orchestrate a plan of attack on how I can help this piece of music become better, and then I start pecking away until the individual parts disappear, and the song appears.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a private facility in Los Angeles with a large tracking room with a vaulted ceiling, an isolation room, and a control room set up for all mixing stereo, 5.1, 7.1, and Dolby Atmos, etc.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I am a great fan of good solid song writing in any genre. Afterall, a great song will be great no matter what genre we decide to make it in.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I often develop a comfortable working environment based on trust and results. I want any artist that I work with to have enough trust in the process to try different ideas that at 1st may not seem viable.

Freddie Nelson "The Show"

ProducerContact for pricing
Full instrumental productionContact for pricing
Mixing EngineerContact for pricing
Post MixingAverage price - $200 per minute
Ghost ProducerContact for pricing
Recording StudioAverage price - $500 per day
Live drum trackContact for pricing

As I offer so many different services, all terms will be discussed and signed off by all parties by contract before any work is completed and or paid for.