Film Composer, Mixing Engineer

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

A: Emanuele Orsini and Francesco Cavasinni. Both excellent musicians and producers from my city

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

A: Mixing and mastering the first EP of Van Dyne, titled 'Comete,' was truly exciting. I was able to implement many new hybrid techniques, and the result, in my opinion, is genuinely intriguing

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Currently, I'm working on the music for a new project by the director Simone Bozzelli and producing an album for a well-known musician in the Italian underground scene

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog for the instruments because I enjoy feeling the warmth and the rich sound of real instruments. A mix of digital and analog for production because it allows for an efficient workflow while also being quite fast at the same time

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

A: We will work together until you are satisfied with the result, at all costs

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The thing I love the most is that my clients' works also become a part of me. The songs become a bit like children; there's something of yours inside, and there's something of other people inside

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

A: We can do something very similar to that other artist I love? The answer is yes!

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

A: Regarding mixing and mastering work, there's often the misconception that it's solely a technical task, that adjusting a few technical parameters will fix everything. However, that's not the case. Mixing is also an art; one must have a precise musical vision and then achieve it through technical tools. Clients who ask me to write music for advertisements or films often think it only involves spending a few minutes playing in the studio. The truth is that writing 30 seconds of music for an advertisement entails dozens of hours of work, including: discussing with the client, brainstorming ideas, composing the music, performing it, recording it, mixing it, and determining if it fits the client's preferences. If not, the process starts over. It's a lengthy and laborious job but extremely rewarding.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Generally, I ask targeted questions to understand the type of sound being sought, what message the music or film the client is working on wants to convey, the timeframes involved, and what references and preferred listens the client has.

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

A: Feel free to ask me anything; sometimes even the most peculiar requests can be fulfilled, and it might just result in a truly original piece of work.

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

A: My Gibson J-200, my violin, my 12 strings Yamaha, my Turkish saz and my glockenspiel

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

A: My musical journey began at the age of 13 when I started studying guitar. From then on, I never stopped. I played for years in prominent Italian post-rock and shoegaze bands, including Antarte and Good Morning Finch. I graduated in Music for Film from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, the Italian National Film School. Then, I started working in cinema, composing soundtracks, while simultaneously pursuing further studies in sound engineering, specializing in mixing. Over the years, I also studied violin and singing. In 2019, I received prestigious recognition for some films I worked on, which won awards at the Venice Film Festival. Since then, everything has been going smoothly, and I am very pleased because music truly represents the only way I can imagine living my life.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I'm a very eclectic musician and producer, but when it comes to describing my musical style, I believe I can define it as dreamy yet powerful, closely linked to a spiritual idea of art.

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

A: I would love to work with Francesco Donadello. I highly esteem his work both as a composer and as a sound engineer, and he's someone who has followed a path very similar to mine. He started with post-rock bands and moved on to the realms of mixing and soundtracks.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Do not throw away your pre-production tracks, ever! Sometimes the saying "first time's the charm" holds true!

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

A: The majority of the work falls into two categories: contemporary music blended with electronics (especially concerning composition) or music associated with the pop/rock context regarding mixing and mastering. Nevertheless, it's not uncommon for me to work on productions from different genres, including jazz, hip-hop, funk, and soul.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Listening :-)

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I try to bring out all the positive aspects that are already inherent in the song (or in the film, in the case of soundtracks) and maximize their value. On the other hand, I strive to minimize the flaws by masking them with all the necessary technical tools. Then, a crucial aspect is to infuse my musical taste and experience while preserving the client's original idea. Ultimately, it's the client's concept that needs to come to the forefront and be enhanced.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: The most important part of the job is the initial phase, which involves speaking with the client and clearly understanding their needs, musical preferences, and the type of result they would like to achieve. Then begins the more technical phase where I delve into my work, aiming to faithfully bring the client's ideas to life. Finally, once the tracks are sent, we proceed with any necessary revisions to ensure a result that is always 100% satisfying.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work in a studio with a mixed analog/digital setup. I use Cubase for composition, mixing, and mastering, and I use Ableton for production tasks. I own a wide range of microphones that allow me to record various types of instruments. I use Yamaha MSP7 monitors, which are now out of production, with a truly excellent frequency response. I often use a 1994 Vox AX30 British amp to record electric guitars (I own Gibson, Yamaha, Fender, Epiphone, and Ibanez guitars). I have various analog synthesizers, a piano, an electric bass, and my favorite instrument, a truly phenomenal Italian craftsmanship violin by Urso.

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

A: I'm a huge fan of several contemporary musicians who have significantly influenced the modern scene of experimental, electronic, and soundtrack music. Particularly Jonny Greenwood, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Mica Levi, bands like Sigur Rós, and other artists who have brought innovation to the border between experimental and pop music. I'm also a fan of producers like Nigel Godrich, Flood, Chris Coady, and of course, Brian Eno. These are individuals who have made an incredible contribution to music both creatively and technically.

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

A: I work extensively as a sound engineer because the number of people requesting mixing and mastering for their tracks is very high. It's a stimulating job that I enjoy a lot and that I've learned to do well ever since I took my first sound technician courses over fifteen years ago. I also receive numerous requests from clients working for significant brands who want music for their advertisements. Finally, one of my main occupations is composing music for films, which is work that I adore.