Michael Machinist on SoundBetter

Millions sold. Millions of weekly listeners. Let’s make magic!

Energetic and easy-going multiplatinum shredder, studio engineer and music producer at your service. Comfortable and highly effective at every phase of the production: recording, editing, producing, vocal tuning, mixing, mastering. No genre left un-rocked. Owner of a Chips Davis / Sean Macke designed studio facility with an impeccable hybrid setup based around a fully restored, 32 track, vintage Trident console.

Contact me through the green button above and let's get to work.

Credits

Languages

English

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Interview with Michael Machinist

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I engineered and mixed an album called "Speed of Life" by Evitan (Dres from Black Sheep and Jarobi from ATCQ). It inspired the latest ATCQ album when Q-Tip heard the song, Let The Horns Blow.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Kill Tony Show, Hu-The-Robot, Urban Heat, Verde Menta.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Not yet, but would love to meet them!
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both! Let's paint with the most vivid, beautiful colors and slice with the sharpest knives.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: You'll love it more after I'm finished!
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love the journey to get to the finished product and doing everything I know how to do in order to get there.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Can you {insert task here}? The answer is yes.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: I work fast and efficiently, but some things take time!
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What is your budget, timeline, and scope? Do you prefer attended sessions versus letting me work independently?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Be honest with your expectations and clearly communicate your goals so we can make diamonds!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Neumann U67, Mac Laptop, Apollo Interface, Fender Stratocaster, NS-10s!
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been at this for over 20 years! I got into the business of music production as a musician that needed unlimited studio time for my projects. As a studio intern, I honed my skills and branched out on my own as I began to support myself by making records for clients.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I work to deliver a full-range production that is appropriate to the genre. I'm easygoing with my clients but strict in my preferences for a clean and dynamic palate. The goal is always to make the listener forget about anything but the music, to make it a truly immersive experience. This is the magic!
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Wolfgang Van Halen. I love that he's a multi-instrumentalist and produces all of his own music!
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Before getting to work, listen once for enjoyment and once more for production.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Rock, Jazz, Hip-Hop, RnB, Podcasts.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Exercising the vision of the client while maintaining a high level of production.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring exactly what the song needs for it to be considered a finished product in the eyes of the client and for myself as a craftsman. Energy, dynamics and detail in full-range. I make sure that they're on the level of industry standard by comparing with commensurate master recordings and that we all enjoy the music!
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: First, I listen to the material and communicate with the client about deliverables. Then we get to work!
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a control room / live room setup. The studio was designed by Chips Davis (father of modern recording studio acoustics) and his protege, Sean Macke. My hybrid control room setup is based around a fully restored 32 Track Trident Trimix/Series 70 console (56 channels on mix down), a pile of tasty rackmounted analog processing, Dangerous monitoring and mastering conversion, Burl mix conversion, and 56 channels of Lynx conversion.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Hendrix, Miles Davis, Andy Wallace, Brendan O'Brien, Terry Date, Jerry Fin.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I record, edit, mix and master popular music and podcasts.