Sam Pannifex on SoundBetter

Dedicated, nuanced mixing engineer with a decade of experience and (still) an abundance of curiosity. I specialise in making dynamic & visceral sounding mixes, attempting to eke out the maximum emotional potential of your songs. Recent credits for producing and mixing: Za Noon - Heartdrag // Arbes - Counterways

In person I offer a bottom to top service of recording, producing and mixing. Remotely I offer a more in-depth mixing service. I try to bring all my knowledge and ideas from producing and recording into the mix process. If you do need a song turned around in a couple of days I am capable of that, but do enjoy a more immersive workflow.

I'm also able to remotely produce a song, adding layers or elements utilising my collection of vintage synthesizers (Juno 106, Dx7) or tracking guitar through vintage microphones and outboard gear.

I specialise in mixing and producing music that's been primarily recorded with live instrumentation, (alternative pop/rock/folk, dreampop, shoegaze, art-pop etc.)
I believe every individual song is it's own unique puzzle that needs to be cracked. I love following every impulse through to see where it takes the song, even if it means you end up command Z'ing an hour of work, there could be a single nugget found that makes it's way into the final mix.

I love the process of building out a world of sounds, with every little detail getting it's own send, coalescing into a vast sonic cloud. I also love working with something achingly intimate & small, (a guitar and a voice) & trying to get that to feel as impactful as an orchestra.
I have a hybrid workflow, with a big plugin library (like everyone else) and some choice pieces of outboard gear.

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

Credits

Discogs verified credits for Sam Pannifex

Arbes
Arbes
Static Animal
Arbes
Static Animal
Static Animal
Arbes

4 Reviews

Endorse Sam Pannifex

by Declan Baker
I've worked with Sam for a few years now, across multiple singles as well as an upcoming ep. As both a producer and mixer I cannot recommend him enough. From the get-go I've been struck by just how clearly Sam is able to elicit and highlight the strengths of my music without ever compromising the sound I am going for. He took time to understand my vision and references, and most importantly to me - ensured that the mixing process was collaborative. Working with him as both a producer and mixing engineer made for a significantly more productive recording process. Highly recommend!
by Maxine Zanoni
Sam composed the score for my short film. He had an intuitive understanding of tone & the sonic landscape needed for the story. Sam is warm, collaborative, and poured so much care into the project we worked on together. Grateful to have had someone who truly cared about making it the best thing we could <3
by Jess Zanoni
Sam is a boundlessly innovative and knowledgeable producer. Open minded, wildly creative and caring, Sam worked tirelessly on my record, and got it to a place I didn't know was possible. Sam is a deep thinker, and has great technical skill that he marries with a love of experimentation and play. He's always keen to try new approaches in recording, in the spirit of keeping things fun and dynamic. Sam's plugged into a constant stream of ideas that leads to nuanced detail and cohesion. His high standards always leads to a beautifully crafted end result. No one I trust more with my music.
by Róisín Gowen
Working with Sam was the most enjoyable, fulfilling collaboration I have ever experienced. Sam's intuition, passion, kindness, and care not only produced an outcome that was so much more (and so more special) than I could have ever imagined for myself and my songs, but also gave me so much courage to believe not only in the music, but in myself as an artist! One of my most unexpected favourites part of our work together was seeing Sam's creativity, and how he injects that into the work with so much heart. He is incredibly talented. You won't regret working with this guy.

Interview with Sam Pannifex

Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Apart from the magic of getting to witness THE take as it happens, I'd say it's just the fact that you get to walk away (almost) every day and you've made something better/more potent than it was before.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: Are the tracks locked? Am I allowed to add a dash of instrumentation? What's the required turnaround time? What's the central theme or feeling the track is trying to invoke? What are some references for how you want it to feel?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Make sure the song you want worked on is up to your standard.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Needly, I like to nudge every single sound towards a more cohesive whole.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Generally singer-songwriter driven music, sometimes with a band attached and sometimes I just act as the band for the recording process (depending on budget).
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Probably critical listening, I think you have to go from being completely zen and immersed in a song, to cold & harsh & listening outside of the piece, all within 45 seconds.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring a sharp ear and a love for specificity, I feel like every song is a world unto itself and it's ideal form needs to be uncovered.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a sound-treated home studio set-up, with vintage keyboards (Juno-106, DX7 etc.) a mic locker featuring a bunch of new and old dynamic, condenser and ribbon mics. As well a selection of mic pre's, both tube and solid state & the Avalon AD2044 Stereo/dual mono compressor.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Shawn Everett is a inspiration in his fearless and experimental approach, also the end product always sound competitive and encompassing. Phillip Weinrobe is another person whose artistry spills into every aspect of their sound.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: In person I offer a bottom to top service, wherein I record, produce & mix (generally) a whole album for a client. For remote mixing and production I take all the ingenuity and energy I'd usually put into every aspect of a song and concentrate it into the mixing/production process.

Arbes - Full Sight

I was the Engineer, producer, guitarist and co-mixer in this production

Mixing EngineerAverage price - $150 per song
ProducerAverage price - $250 per song
Film ComposerAverage price - $100 per minute
Full instrumental productionAverage price - $250 per song
Mastering EngineerAverage price - $50 per song
Podcast Editing & MasteringAverage price - $100 per podcast
Electric GuitarAverage price - $70 per song

I'm comfortable with almost unlimited revisions. Turn around time for a mix is 2-3 days for a first pass, depending on my current production schedule, would always check first to set expectations.