Greg Dodson on SoundBetter

Welcome! I've been an Audio Engineer and Pro Guitarist for 18 years. I am a graduate from the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences, AZ. After graduating, I interned and worked as an Audio Engineer in Nashville and for the past 9 years I have worked as the Audio Engineer & Guitarist for a Church in St. Louis.

My demo reel includes the following guitar style samples below:
- Strat Solo with Band
- Hendrixy Strat
- Gibson L-00 Acoustic Blues
- Gibson L-00 Acoustic Strumming
- 12-String Acoustic
- Gretsch Slide Electric

When submitting a service request, it helps to provide me with:
- The multi-track session with click track
- Chord chart (standard chord chart, or Nashville number chart)
- Tone you're looking for (Example: Strat Clean Chords, Acoustic Fingerpicking, etc.)

My General Signal Flow:

- Electric Guitars: Pedalboard > Vintage Sound 22SC Tube Amp > Iso Room > Custom West Coast Cab with Warehouse G12C/S > U47 & M88 mics > WA273 pres > Apollo x8 > Pro Tools.

- Acoustic Instruments: U47 tube mic > UA Tube 6176 Preamp & Compressor > UA Apollo x8 > Pro Tools.

- If requested, I can also provide a DI track.

I specialize in very high end guitar recordings with focus on song dynamics, structure, the art of knowing when to play & when not to play and getting the right tone for each song. My role is to support the song and the Artist's vision. I will ensure you're extremely happy with the tracks I provide. I'm up for a Zoom, or Google Meet to discuss your track. Feel free to send me a message and an MP3 of your project.

I'm looking forward to creating music with you!

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

Credits

Greentree Community Church

3 Reviews

Endorse Greg Dodson

by Matthew D.
Greg is an incredibly skilled guitarist. He's got the chops to make whatever you throw his way sound effortlessly soulful.

But perhaps his greatest superpower is serving the client. Greg's extensive experience as an engineer has engrained to his core something many guitarists struggle with - your track is not about him.

Moreover, Greg will go the extra mile on your track in a way not many Nashville guitarists will.

If you want a go-the-extra-mile guitarist that listens, serves the song, and is a joy to work with....look no further.
by Steve Heerboth
Greg, a versatile guitarist with a mastery of diverse styles, showcases creativity and taste every time he picks up a guitar. His musical maturity shines in his profound understanding of musical space and the way he applies dynamics. Beyond his talent on the guitar, Greg excels in audio mixing and production, applying unmatched skills that translate into consistent live mixes and recordings - all easy on the ears. Adding to his appeal, Greg's relaxed demeanor and can-do attitude make collaborating with him an enjoyable experience.
by Rick McCoy
I have worked with Greg at church for years and have been impressed his by his musical talent and technical mixing skills. But what I love most is his personality. He has a great attitude and is a joy to work with.

Interview with Greg Dodson

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: Every week I work with a band at the Church, I love mixing the audio with great musicians and seeing the congregation react when I push the level during certain chorus highs.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Audio Engineering for the Church and launching my Soundbetter profile.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: My buddy Matthew from Church, I know he’s hired a few people off of here.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Analog as much as possible, tube amps, nice tube mics, tube preamps, but then into high end Universal Audio x8 and ProTools.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I’ll do whatever I can to exceed your expectations and compliment your track.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Providing a unique addition to someone’s project.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: How does a compressor work. I usually draw a diagram of how attack, release, threshold, gain reduction, ratio and makeup gain work.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That it’s hard to change the tone. It’s very easy to change how the tone sounds, just let me know what you’re looking for.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: Are you looking for supporting chords or licks throughout? Can you give me an example of the tone you’re looking for?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Provide an example of what sound you’re looking for.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Nash S63, Vintage Sound SC22, my main pedalboard, Gibson L-00 acoustic, U47.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started playing in guitar in bands when I was in high school, went to Nashville to record an album woth my band, fell in love with the studio, went to audio engineering school, went back to Nashville for an internship and then freelance engineer, moved home to St. Louis where I’ve worked in audio at a Church.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I try to play vocal sounding solos and chords that are unexpected to draw the ear.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Derek Trucks, I just want to hear him play the guitar, his vocal slide technique is unreal. Also Chris Stapleton, I love his approach to tone.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: A U47 about 6 inches off a guitar cab, slightly to the outside of the cone sounds way better than a 57 on the grill.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Rock, Blues, Christian, Folk, Bluegrass, and Country.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Through experience in Nashville studios and in live sound for a Church, I understand what fits in a track, without overplaying. I realize it’s not about me, it’s about serving the song.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Quality guitar recordings that complement the song, while making sure the vocal stays in the spotlight.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Listen to what the song owner’s notes are and write them down. Listen through the song with a guitar in hand and try to envision what the listener would like to hear. Work on dialing in a tone that complements the arrangement. Try a couple takes with different techniques and listen back for what works the best. Then I’ll focus on that method and really zone in on nailing the performance.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have very high end equipment and is all setup to be very efficient. I have an Isolation closet where I mic up a cab with a 47. I use an Aston Halo for isolation when recording acoustic, or mandolin with a tube 47. I have guitar pedals from a Klon KTR, TS10 Japan, Strymon, UA, King Tone etc. I have just about every Fabfilter, Universal Audio, Waves and Izotope plugin you’d need.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I love The Beatles, Derek Trucks, Eric Clapton, Sierra Ferrell, David Crowder, Chris Stapleton, Norah Jones and anything that warms the soul!
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I’ve done a lot of overdub guitar work for clients that were not happy with the original guitar parts.