Session Vocalists

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: The flexibility and quality of our voices in various genres has always been our greatest asset.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: We run Protools Ultimate with an Avid Carbon interface. We have a very nice microphone locker allowing us to utilize the best microphone for the project; FleA 49, Neumann U87ai, custom Neumann U67, a suped up custom Pearlman TM-1. We also have numerous preamps; AMS Neve 1073 DPX, Dan Alexander reracked Neve 1272, Link Audio SSL style channel strips, as well as Avid Carbon Preamps. We also have an Audio-Scape Opto (LA2a) and V-Comp (STA Level) at our disposal for tracking or mixing purposes. The room is nicely treated with GIK professional acoustic panels and base traps.

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

A: Jack Walker. He's an amazing orchestrator and engineer versed in numerous genres of music.

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

A: Mac, Carbon, FleA49, Dan Alexander 1272, Audio-Scape V Comp.

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

A: Vincent would love to sing with Tony Bennett, Anthony Warlow, or Linda Eder. They are at the top of their fields and huge influences on him.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: We will always give our clients the song as it was written, but will often include some variations in separate takes. For example, in Vincent's recording on "Charlemagne: By the Sword and Cross" the ending was a repeat of the previous chorus. We recorded it as written. Then we provided a more exciting ending with a big high A climax. It was the take used on the final album.

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

A: They will get the best possible performance we can give.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: We love making music.

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

A: Are you sure you're comfortable in this style? We wouldn't accept the work if we didn't know we could perform on your project.

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

A: That anyone can do it.

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

A: Have an idea of what you are looking for so we can be on the same page with you. Be open to a bit of collaboration.

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

A: Vincent started studying musical theater at the Long Island High School of the Performing Arts and went on to Adelphi University to study music (classical voice) and theater performance. At 19 he began as a studio vocalist for a few new musicals, new songwriter, hooks on R&B tracks and it grew from their. I built my first home studio at 22 to continue to work at my own pace. I was also an up and coming crossover artist at the time. When I was 25 I began making the transition from musical theater and crossover work to opera, and found my niche as a crossover artist in the vein of Mario Lanza who could really sing everything.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Natural and exciting.

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

A: Broadway, Claissical, and Great American Songbook are the music we record most often. Vincent has also appeared on pop songs and light rock.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: For vocals we will often listen to the scratch vocal and rehearse with it a bit before starting the recording process. We like to record a few full takes and then comp.

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

A: We are old school vocalists heavily influenced by singers like Julie Andrews, Judy Garland, Mario Lanza, and Sergio Franchi. Al Schmitt is probably my favorite engineer.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: We are recording a new Christmas Album working with our friend Jack Walker who's work can be heard on TV, films, and video games.

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

A: I loved my work on the "Charlemagne" albums. They gave me a lot of freedom to try new things and there was some real collaboration. I gave them a take with the climactic ending of "Bloody Verdict of Verdon" and it was used. They were even unsure about how one of the tracks should go on the second album and let me play around with the lyrics and create the hook to the instrumental they had already recorded. It was used in the final product, which was very cool.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I love Analog Gear and I love Digital flexibility. I have some of both and use what I have to my advantage. It's more important to know the gear you have than to have tons of pieces you don't know how to use properly.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I need to know what the product is going to be used for. A songwriter looking to get a piece recorded is a very different client than a client looking to record a piece for a large release. I also ask to hear the piece in some form before I agree to work on it. I want to make sure my voice is suited for the project so no one wastes any time or money.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Find the process that works for you; whether its a signal chain or a method of working. You being in "your" element will give you the best results. If you are behind the console you need to strive that your client is in "their' element.

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

A: Classical, classical crossover, jazz, and Broadway style vocals.