First Stone Studio on SoundBetter

I've been Mixing & Mastering music since 2013 with a special affinity for anything dreamy & emotional. I love working on styles like Synthwave, Dreamwave, Dreampop, Ambient Postrock, Postrock, Shoegaze, Dark Synth, Cyberpunk & Witch House. I Mix/Master Podcasts & Youtube videos also.

I started out as a guitarist playing in Rock & Metal bands, then moved into electronic music and combined these worlds together. As my original background is based in organic, traditional instruments rather than electronic, I feel this helps define my philosophy in how music should feel & sound in a different way to those who have always worked on electronic music.

The organic nature of traditional instruments and the imperfections of human performance is what we connect with so strongly, yet they are often lost in modern music. Whether I'm working on electronic music, more traditional music or a combination of both, I like to keep this connection alive in any way I can.

If you desire it, I'm very fond of creating an analogue era style sound but with the benefits of modern, digital processing which allows me to dial in a great mix of tape style warmth & saturation whilst keeping a good amount of clarity & definition that is only possible with digital processing - I can make the best of both worlds!

Every song is unique and I treat it as such! This means no presets & no shortcuts with AI software, but instead, proper time is spent to get things sounding as intended using more traditional methods.

I'm happy to make deals when working on multiple songs. If you're interested in working with me then contact me with details of your project and we'll go from there!

Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.

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Interview with First Stone Studio

Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Human :)
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Attention to detail and creating atmosphere - painting pictures with sound.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: As someone who has worked not only on music with vocals but also on a lot of instrumental music, I understand the desire to convey a message without words so I like to focus on and enhance the elements which create that connection.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I'm a fan of both! Analogue is great because it adds a character to the sound that harks back to a time of more traditional music creation, a time when so many great records were made. However, there are also technical limitations & side effects with analogue gear which can be very problematic. My solution it to use analogue emulations modelled on real hardware. This allows me to dial in as much of the analogue style sound as I like, keeping the good parts whilst having a very controlled amount of the imperfections which in moderation can add a great character to the sound.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: To do my best to give your music the attention it needs for it to convey your message clearly.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I live for music and I love working on anything that makes me feel something! I take other people's music seriously and treat it as a true collaboration between us!
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Try and have a clear vision of what you're after and make sure my philosophy on music somewhat lines up with yours. The better your recordings, the better the results! If you want to sound like someone in particular then keep in mind that you need to sound like them from the start. There's a lot that can be done during the mixing stage and I can definitely get you closer but it's essentially a process of balancing & enhancing what's already there - the performance is yours!
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I was originally a guitarist playing in Rock & Metal bands from the 90s through to the 2000s. I then focused more on solo music where I began my journey as an audio engineer as I wanted to learn to do everything myself. I have been doing this consistently for over a decade now.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Anyone who is expressing themself with their music!
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: It's not about one big trick but lots of small moves and attention to details which add up to create something that is really felt as much as it is heard.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Synthwave, Dreamwave, Dreampop, Ambient Postrock, Postrock & Shoegaze. I also like working on darker and more aggressive styles like Dark Synth, Cyberpunk, Witch House & Dungeon Synth.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Mixing & Mastering.