Rock Producer and Engineer

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

A: I am very proud of the album "Echoes Beneath The Surface" by Deep Sea Vincents because it is the first Post-Rock album from Mongolia and I had the honor to mix and master it. Isn't that insane for a producer from Germany?!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: A stoner/classic rock album and a jazz album with a tuba as a lead instrument.

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

A: Not yet :)

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both, becasue both are awesome. Analog for workflow and vibe, digital for ease of use. Analog processing while recording makes it already sounding like a mix.

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

A: That i take their music 100% seriously, always. I will do whatever is in my power to get the best result for them.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The variety of music I get to work on and bringing songs to life.

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

A: The no.1 question I get is: Is that really your job? Yes, it is actually my job, haha. No.2 is: How do you turn on the coffee machine? The on button is hidden on the left side of it. Great job, Tchibo, your product designer get's a F- for that.

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

A: There is a lot we engineers can fix, but not everything.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What do you hope to get out of our shared work? Is there previous studio experience you've had? How was that? What would you like to differently this time?

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

A: Make sure, you find someone that you resonate with. Don't go for the cheapest option, often times there is a good reason why they are cheap.

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

A: 1) Empirical Labs Distressor 2) Shure SM57 3) Macbook Pro 4) A guitar 5) a good coffee machine, lol

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

A: I've moved to Berlin in 2016 to become a full time audio engineer. Ever since i've worked on a wide variety of projects ranging from studiodio to FOH live work.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Raw but with a modern sonic feel.

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

A: Karnivool. Ian Kenny is probably the best progressive rock singer there is and I can only imagine how fun it must be to record with him.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Emotion > Technicality The song always comes first. In the end, no one cares which pre amp you used, which vocal mic you used or if it was that 5000€ boutique guitar. If the song or the performance does not touch you on an emotional level, it's not a good song.

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

A: Alternative Rock. Music that has loud, distorted guitars and punchy drums.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Communication and adapting to others. Music is very emotional work and every artist is different. I am very good at understanding how a person "ticks" and works and adapting to that, so that they feel comfortable and safe around me.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: This depends entirely on what the artist asks me to bring. Sometimes, I only make sure, the recording is capturing the song as truly as possible. Other times, I support the artists in their songwriting and arrangements if they ask me to. Generally speaking, I bring creativity and excitement to a song, revealing the best form of it.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: First of all, I talk to the artist and try to understand what their goal is. What do they want to achieve at the studio, how do they want their music to sound? Depending on that, I work out the ideal recording process with them. While tracking, I always make sure everyone feels comfortable and safe to make sure they perform at their best potential. Nonetheless, every take is judged by it's quality and I won't shy away from making players record the same phrase over and over until they get it right. After all, it needs to be THE take, right? Throughout the whole process I always bounce the results back and forth with the artists to see if we are still on the right path.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is located in an old farm estate and housed in an old barn. For recording artists, I use a mixture of high end analog gear like the Neve 1073 PreAmps, the UREI 1176 compressor or the Empirical Labs Distressor. There is a lovely collection of modern and vintage mics not only consisting of the classics like a Shure SM57 or the Neumann M149 but also some rarities like the Gefell UM70. No matter what voice or sound an artists bring in, there will be the right microphone for it! Artists can either bring their own music equipment or choose from the wonderful selection of instruments and amplifiers at the studio. Marshall, Mesa Boogie, Diezel, Ampeg, there is something for every style of music.

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

A: Karnivool and Forrester Savell. Their musicality and creativity are so unique and inspiring. There is not a day where I am not entirely amazed by the songwriting and sonic soundscapes they create.

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

A: Most of the work I do is recording at my lovely studio in the northern end of Berlin, Germany.