Mixing for the love of music

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am working on a selection of tracks for TV. Synthwave tracks. I am also working on composing a music for a brand at the moment. I am planning on recording the saxophone part very soon. It is going to be fun ! In parallel with beta-testing for some companies. Finishing mixes for awesome artists. And maybe trying to record my own EP ? Why not !

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog. But as said before I have a specific workflow to use as much analog gear as I can but still enjoy the recalls of digital. I am also happy to mix in the box (as the mix provided in the sound samples example here).

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

A: I will treat your project as mine. And will never do things as a standardized way, like a factory. I will, of course, put my heart into it.

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

A: They mostly ask why I work on analog desk whereas there is plugins everywhere. I mostly answer that I also do mix 100% with plugins. But I am just more happy to mix on analog desk because I have the results I am aiming for way quicker, I love the feel of it and I prefer moving around the studio tweaking gears than starring at a computer screen.

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

A: Thinking when you are a mixing engineer you can master almost automatically. I worked in Mastering studios to learn it in a proper mastering environment. Mastering requires a different set of skills, gears and mindset than mixing. Mastering is not just slapping FG-X, L2 or Ozone on a track. Also plugins doesn't give tubes/tape tones. They give an approximation of it. And so, in my opinion, need to be treated differently. Emulating a whole "analog" chains with plugins won't sound like this real analog chains in real-life. Analog is a different workflow and mindset than digitals with cross-grading ideas between them.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are their references, what is the global vibes of the track. How do they feel about it. What messages are they trying to transmit. What type of sounds they are after. And finally the super funny one : What is your deadline ?

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

A: Ask me questions. All the questions you need and don't be afraid to ask for advices. Advices are free ;).

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

A: Computer (to record). Gives access to DAW, VSTi, plugins etc... Shure SM7b (to record pretty much everything). Audio Interface (Arturia Fuse or Similar). My Gibson guitar. ATC SMC 25A. I will miss a lot my guitar tho and will maybe feel a bit depressed in the end haha.

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

A: I've been doing this for around 6 years now maybe a bit more. I started as a music composer then get into recording studio and I now live in London. I do studio and production work in parallel with music for TV.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I encourage music to sounds true to the artists. Avoiding outrageous amount of editing, tuning and trying to get the source right so mixing became a game of making something very good becoming excellent. That way, everything is rewarding : Recordings sound great so it is enjoyable to listen to, mixing will sound great so it will be enjoyable to listen to and to do. And Mastering will be the icing on the cake that makes everything as the artists would want it. I try to avoid being in front of the computer with massive headaches to fix something that hasn't been done as the artists wanted. Sometimes it happens when I have the project to mix. But if I am also recording it, I'll try to avoid this as much as I can. Everything has to be a pleasure :)

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Avoiding what I did in the beginning : Do not mangle sounds to make them sound as you like. Respect the artist's tastes and understand their expectations precisely before diving into the song and adding 250+ tracks. Less is not (often) more. But efficiency is (always) more ;).

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

A: Rock music. But I have been a lot into synth wave recently. I have also worked extensively on jazz/funk music thanks to the BBC Radio. Which is another genre of music that I really love. And I got a lot of pop mixes from a few pop labels too.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I mix on either an SSL AWS900, SSL 4000G or API 1608 depending on the project budget and sound expectation. I also provide mixes ITB using plugins (and few piece of outboards) that I know will gave me the best sounds without digital artifacts (aliasing, transients smearing etc...). I mix on ATC speakers, NS10 and Ollo Audio Headphones S4X.

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

A: Bloc Party for their super clever guitar parts. Jimi Hendrix for his vision. CLA for most of his 90's/2000's mixes (like it or not, he made his sound) Richard Dodd for his mix of "You Don't Know How It Feels" of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

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

A: I was really proud of assisting to sessions with big artists but especially Mick Jagger. It was during the production of his new releases. I felt blessed to being able to see it happening for 15 days of work with him. I just wished I would be there during the mixing stage. But my role was studio assistant at the time. Otherwise I try to be proud of everything I do. No point doing things in half measures.

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

A: Not yet, I just arrived today :) !

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The creative side of it : Using certain tools to reach certain sounds in order to enhance the song in a certain way that will please the artists. I also love the human relationships. A lot of the artists I have worked with became friends in the end. And that push me to help them bring their music to the top.

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

A: I would really like to work with any bands that are cautious about their sound, the dynamics of the sound and the overall vibe. I don't like music that is over-processed just to be loud and proud. So any band that have a vision of a sound (may it be 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, modern clarity, lo-fi etc...).

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Mixing and rock guitar production.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I try to bring respect : Respect of the dynamics, vibes, emotions and messages. I am not here to compress the hell out of everything and makes everything sound like a commercial blob of audio. I can bring productions enhancement (sound design, real instruments etc...) and productions advices too.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I have a specific workflow which let me use as much outboard as I want but still be able to recall easily the mixes. I like to really listen to the song first to understand the vision. I also focus a lot on the rough mix and the references provided by the artists. And I try to not over-process anything if it is not needed to stay true to the source and the original emotion transmitted by the sound.

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

A: Mixing and song composing and recording.