Producer, mixer, performer

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Try where possible move through each production process at a decent pace, so as not to lose objectivity.

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

A: I play in a number of bands spanning multiple genres, and have mainly produced and mixed for bands and artists in soul, R&B, funk, pop and rock.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Drum recording and mixing. I’ve spent countless hours honing my process.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I always strive to create distinctive, memorable productions. As well as realising my own vision for the sound of a song, I make sure to understand and incorporate any visions the artist may have, as these often give tracks their best direction. My default recording approach would usually be for a pristine, full-fidelity recording of every track; however I’m a big fan of the lo-fi recording approach where it’s needed, as I find it can be a great way to inject character into a track.

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

A: I will deliver a top-quality product upon completion, and maintain regular communication throughout the whole process, to make sure you are happy at all times with the direction your music is heading in.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: My favourite moment(s) within the creation of any musical entity, is where everything in the music just clicks, giving you goosebumps and making you just smile and nod your head!

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

A: I get asked whether spending big on a project I’m working on is a good idea in order to maximise quality, i.e. large recording studio or hiring very expensive microphones and pre-amps. My answer is that it's only very occasionally necessary to spend big on a project to achieve top-quality results. A string quartet, bigband or heavily brass-incorporated track would be examples of where it would more often than not be advisable to spend more on a project. However in most other situations, it’s really about the skill and knowledge of the practitioner that is most important. In today’s world with the technology we have available to us, top-quality, professional tracks can be created at a fraction of the price they used to be - with the right person behind the controls.

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

A: If my drumkit counts as a single piece of gear, then that! I'd also take my Yamaha piano, Mac Pro, Roland UA16 interface and Lewitt LCT Air matched-pair microphones.

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

A: I’ve been practising my production and mixing skills since the age of 13/14. Since graduating with a BSc in music composition and tech, I’ve been working professionally for just under 8 years.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: A punchy, phat sound at the core, combined with very detailed uppermids/highs. I love layering sounds and creating tracks where you hear something new every time you listen. Think ‘Grace’ by Jeff Buckley...

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

A: Theo Katzman. I love his music and style. He’s an amazing singer and musician, with exceptionally well-crafted songs. It would be a pleasure to help produce his new ones.

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

A: Jack Gillen is an amazing guitarist, with the ability to shine on anything you chuck his way. A very tasteful player who always strives to serve the music, and a fantastic attitude and temperament. He’s my go-to guitarist

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

A: I was the mixing engineer on the soundtrack to the Jo Mei/EA Games release, Sea Of Solitude, published by Sony. The 20-track album was a mountain of a project, but a very rewarding process, during which I learnt a heck of a lot.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When producing/mixing, after a song has been written and arranged, I like to get all tracking completed before mixing if possible. Sometimes I may do a quick mix to help a particular tracking session. I then do a provisional mix and send it off to the client for critique. After that, regular revisions will be sent across until both my client and I are happy.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a dedicated drum room, permanently mic'ed up with an array of first-class mics. They are fed through the new flagship Studio Capture UA16 Roland interface. I also have a permanetly mic'ed piano in a nice medium-sized, pleasantly reflective room. I have a vocal booth attached to the control/mixing room. I work in Logic pro X.

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

A: Greg Wells, Andrew Scheps, Eddie Kramer, Chick Corea, Dave Weckl, Benny Greb, Randy Waldman, Theo Katzman, John Mayer.

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

A: Producing, including recording, mixing and occasionally mastering. I'll often put down piano and drum parts myself if the artist doesn't have players in place.