Mix Engineer

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

A: An old friend hired me to mix and master several songs for an EP These were songs he put a lot of himself into so it was particularly rewarding to help him finish that project in a way that made him proud of his music. It made me realize that I need to approach every project in the same way—as if I'm helping an old friend make their music shine.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I tend to work on songs that wanna rock. That's more about the vibe than a specific style of music though. My mixes lean more towards warmer tones and a sense of space the music can live in. I'd rather help the artist's style come through more than impose something they weren't going for. It's all about serving the song, right?

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

A: When you entrust your work to me, I promise to always deliver my very best work to you. For me, it's all about your song. I'll work with you to get the sound you're hearing in your head.

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

A: While today's technology is simply amazing, there are still very real limitations as to what can be truly "fixed in the mix." When tracking, be sure that your tracks are not clipping, your instruments are in tune, and that you're always capturing the very best performance possible.

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

A: I graduated from Berklee's Music Production & Engineering program in the early 90s. Life happened and I walked away from music for a long time. I've come back to it now with a renewed passion and a clear focus on mixing to help artists make their music. As one client stated, "you understand mixing like a musical instrument." That's a really cool way to approach it.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Have a clear vision of the song before you record it. Take the time to work out the instrumentation, arrangement and song structure and commit to the sounds you are recording. When it comes time to mix, the recording will already provide a clear picture of what the song needs so we can get there faster.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I will become the biggest fan of your song the moment I start on it. I truly believe that it's not about my mix--it's all about your song. We both expect the mix to improve the sonic quality of the raw recording, so that part of the mixing process is just a given. The fun part is getting the results to convey the intended emotion, where the mix becomes transparent and the song itself is allowed to shine. When this is done right, the listener stays engaged until the last beat and the last note ring out. To this end, any creative decisions made during the mix are always subject to your approval.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I work with artists objectively to enhance the very best qualities of the recorded performance while smoothing out anything that distracts from our mutual goal of allowing the audience to hear the music at its very best. I always want to convey each artist's unique sound in order to pull their audience in and keep them engaged. Whether the song tugs at your heartstrings, makes you tap your foot, nod your head to the beat, or pump your fist in the air--the emotion should always come through.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: If it sounds great and you can easily recreate that sound when needed, don't worry about where it came from.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: If you already have a rough mix of the song(s), share those upfront along with any musical influences or specific songs that will convey the sound you're going for. I'll use these as reference points. Also, be clear as to what "mixing" means for this project, as the lines between producing, mixing and mastering can become blurred.

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

A: Work together from the very beginning of the project to create clear and realistic expectations as to what the end result will be and when we need to get there.

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

A: While great music transcends all genres and tempos, I work mostly with songs that want to rock.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Upon receipt of the multi-track files I will assess the individual tracks to ensure that any issues with format, clipping, timing or tuning have been identified for discussion before we start the project. At that point, I will work with you to establish clear expectations as to deadlines based upon the number of songs and number of tracks involved.

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

A: I provide quality mixing services for singer-songwriters and independent artists.