Post Edit, Mix, Master

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

A: I had a blast mixing several episodes of The Wild with Chris Morgan podcast from Season 6 (Biscayne, Redwoods, North Cascades). I recieved stems, some ambient field audio, extensive notes and was asked to make it sound good and deliver at -14 LUFS to the broadcast engineer.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am currently editing 2 music videos for a local Ska band. Also working to finish up a forensic audio job for a state public defender. Preparing for a 3 camera corporate video live stream production. Tuning vocal for a female singer songwriter (Melodyne, transparent natural tuning only)

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital has become so mature, refined, understood and capable over the decades but this has been built upon and modeled upon analog technology which all our ears were raised on. We all have to remember that audio is, by nature, natural and analog. Choose your plugin processors carefully and learn them inside out. High quality digital processing is indistinguishable from the natural.

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

A: I promise you will recieve my obsessive work ethic no matter your budget.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The variety, it's never boring and there are always surprises. I am constantly learning and never have it all figured out and never will. As i will never run out of hearing new music.

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

A: Q: Can you make me, or my production jump from the speakers and stand out? A: Send me your demo!

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

A: That i don't like having a boss. I like "being my own boss" because the buck stops with and it's up to me and only me to make my customer thrilled with the result of my work. I'm not a control freak, i just like to control process of working which always ends up with the best results

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Do you understand and believe in the message your production is trying to convey?

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

A: Know what you are looking for in your production and how to articulate that

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

A: Macbook Pro with Cubase Pro, Steinberg UR-RT2, Focal Twin 6 BE, Kawaii VPC1, Neumann KM184 pair, Beta SM57

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

A: I have a made my living since 2002 in audio and video production. First gigs were with a borrowed pair of AKG C451's recording live choirs. i quickly began experimenting with several different stereo mic configurations and in a few years had recorded over 100 concerts and making good money. The need for a studio space became very apparent and realized in 2005. Once i had the studio space and an ISDN connection work exploded. The ISDN connection led to serious gigs with large television networks and independant film makers around the world, this enable me to focus on my first love, voice.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: sympathetic and symbiotic

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

A: Lena Raine, simply to absorb how she creates such narrative music for so many different situations/scenes

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Listen. Listen hard as though it is an active behaviour. Quickly identify the personality of a piece and what it's saying. Decide to use all your technical skills to help reveal what is already there.

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

A: Big production podcast. Live choral recordings. Small singer-songwriter ensembles. Individiual voice for BOT, podcast, commercial voice over.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: listening

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: i am good at identifying the strength in a recording. What is making it special. I then concentrate on making that strength the main focus of the mix

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I always separate technical stuff such as tuning, editing, timing from mixing. I will do an initial listen to a piece and take extensive but general notes and then plan which technique i want to use to start a mix. At this point i will mix for up to 2 hours, export a bounce and take a break. Then i will do a proof listen, take notes, start over again. I only use my Focals for surgical listening and initial mixing, after than it's the AKG, Shures and the truck. If my mix translates across those devices i take it back to the Focals for a final listen. Usually at this point i make sure nothing is too strident on the Focals.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I use Cubase Pro for work, Logic for writing. I monitor over Apogee, Steinberg, Focusrite, AKG K271 MKII. I mix and proof over Focal Twin 6 BE, 271 MKII, Shure SE425, 2003 Ford F150 stock stereo (my grot box i suppose).

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

A: I am mostly inspired by good songwriting and arranging. I love the human voice as an instrument of expression. The fact that every voice is so unique. At the same time i can't stand when the rest of the band is taken for granted. Favorite female voices are Kayleigh Amstutz, Whitney Houston, Adele, seriously to name a few. Male voices, to name only a few, Morton Harkett, Seal, Richard Page. Favorite producer/creation enabler: Brian Eno. I've listened to thousands of album and songs. While i really enjoy great recording/mix/mastering, the best recordings for me are ones that have great arrangements and honest performances.

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

A: My most common work is vocal tracking and production. Initially solo voice for son was a large focus but this turned into a lot of voice over for film and television. I enjoy playing with the balance between the voice and the rest of the instruments in a particular production.