Multi Platinum Mastering Eng.

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

A: am proud of the projects that have achieved gold and platinum recognition, because they represent important commercial milestones and the result of collaboration between many talented professionals. However, I am equally proud of records where the mastering helped an artist complete a deeply personal project and release it with confidence. My role is always to provide the final technical and musical perspective, ensuring that every song works individually while also creating consistency, flow and identity across the complete release.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I’m currently mastering a range of singles, EPs and album projects for independent artists, producers and labels. The work covers both organic, instrument-based productions and contemporary electronic music, which is one of the aspects I enjoy most about mastering. Moving between different genres keeps my listening objective and prevents me from applying the same formula to every project.

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

A: I believe recommendations should be based on the specific needs of each project rather than given generically. When a client needs another professional, I am happy to recommend trusted musicians, producers or engineers whose style and experience are genuinely suited to the music. A strong collaboration is not about collecting impressive names. It is about finding the right person for the record.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Analog equipment can provide depth, dimension, tone and a particular form of musical interaction, while digital tools offer precision, recall and detailed control. I use a hybrid workflow because there is no reason to choose one side for ideological purposes. The right tool is simply the one that produces the best result for the music. Sometimes a project benefits from an analog chain; sometimes the most transparent digital approach is the correct choice.

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

A: My promise is to treat every project with the same care, attention and professional judgment, regardless of the artist’s level or the size of the release. I will listen to your goals, communicate honestly and work with you until we are both confident in the final result. The master will remain faithful to your music while sounding balanced, competitive and ready for release.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I enjoy being the final creative and technical stage before music is released into the world. Every project presents a different set of challenges, and I value the trust artists place in me at such an important point in the process. The most rewarding moment is when a client hears the master and feels that the song has become more complete, focused and emotionally effective without losing what made the original mix special.

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

A: Clients often ask whether their mix is ready for mastering and how much headroom they should leave. My answer is that there is no mandatory target such as exactly −6 dB. What matters is that the mix is not clipping, unnecessarily limited or exported at a reduced resolution. Send the mix at its native sample rate and bit depth, with any master-bus processing that is artistically important. You may also send an unprocessed version when you are uncertain, and I will evaluate both.

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

A: The biggest misconception is that mastering is simply making a mix louder. Loudness is only one small part of the process. Mastering involves critical listening, tonal balance, dynamics, stereo imaging, sequencing, translation and quality control. The goal is not to transform a weak mix through extreme processing. It is to bring a finished production to its full potential and prepare it correctly for release.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I usually ask: 1. What is the intended release format? 2. Do you have any sonic references? 3. What do you like about the current mix? 4. Is there anything you feel uncertain about? 5. Is the master part of a single, EP or album? 6. Do you need instrumental, clean, performance or alternative versions? 7. Is there a specific deadline or label delivery requirement?

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

A: Choose a mastering engineer whose work, taste and communication style align with your music. Do not base the decision only on equipment or loudness. When contacting me, send the final mix at its original sample rate and bit depth, together with a few references and a clear explanation of your artistic direction. You do not need to use a specific amount of headroom, but the mix should not be clipping or heavily limited unless that processing is an essential part of its sound.

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

A: A reliable pair of monitors, an accurate digital-to-analog converter, my favorite analog equalizer, a transparent compressor and a computer containing the music that matters most to me. Although, realistically, electricity and acoustic treatment would probably be more useful than another compressor on a desert island.

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

A: My career began through music production and electronic music, particularly within the house scene. Working as an artist and producer gave me a practical understanding of arrangement, sound selection, mixing and the decisions that shape a finished record. Over the years, my focus developed increasingly toward sound engineering and mastering. I have now spent decades working professionally with artists, producers and labels, mastering hundreds of releases across a wide range of musical styles. That production background still influences my work today because I approach every master from both a technical and musical perspective.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Musical, detailed and transparent, but never passive. I aim to preserve the natural character of the mix while adding the balance, depth, impact and cohesion required for a finished record. I do not impose the same sonic signature on every project. My style is based on understanding the artist’s intention and choosing the right treatment for that particular song.

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

A: I would love to work with Pat Metheny. His music combines composition, improvisation, acoustic detail, electronics and sophisticated production in a way that always remains musical. Mastering a project with that level of depth and dynamic nuance would be both a responsibility and an inspiring creative challenge.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Do not wait until mastering to solve problems that belong in the mix. Before sending your track, check the vocal balance, low end, harshness and overall dynamics at both high and very low listening levels. A strong master begins with a strong mix. At the same time, avoid over-processing the master bus simply to make the track louder. Leave enough room for the mastering engineer to work effectively.

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

A: work across jazz, electronic, pop, soul, R&B, rock, house and acoustic music. My experience with both organic performances and electronic productions allows me to handle everything from dynamic, instrument-based recordings to powerful, beat-driven releases. The genre may change, but the goal remains the same: preserve the music’s identity and make it translate confidently.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is understanding what a mix needs and, just as importantly, what it does not need. Mastering requires technical accuracy, but it also requires restraint, musical judgment and the ability to make small decisions that produce a meaningful improvement. I know how to enhance a record without processing away the qualities that make it unique

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring experience, objectivity and a fresh set of ears. After spending a long time recording and mixing a song, it can become difficult for an artist or producer to hear it objectively. My role is to identify what is already working, correct what is holding the mix back and bring the entire production into focus without changing its identity.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: begin by listening carefully to the mix and understanding the artist’s direction, references and intended release format. I evaluate tonal balance, dynamics, stereo image, low-end control and overall translation before deciding what the song actually needs. Every project receives an individual approach rather than a preset chain. After mastering, I perform detailed quality control and check the result across different listening levels and playback conditions. The client then receives a reference master and can provide feedback before final delivery.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work from OS3 Mastering Studio in Italy, in an accurate and carefully controlled listening environment designed for critical decision-making. My setup combines high-quality analog processing with precise digital tools, allowing me to choose the right approach for each individual project. The equipment is important, but reliable monitoring, experience and informed decisions are what ultimately make a master translate.

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

A: I’m inspired by artists such as Pat Metheny, whose work combines musical depth, experimentation and exceptional sound quality. I also admire records where performance, production and engineering work together naturally, without the technical process distracting from the music. From a mastering perspective, I’m inspired by engineers who understand that the best master is not the loudest or most processed one, but the one that communicates the artist’s intention most effectively.

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

A: I provide professional stereo mastering for artists, producers and record labels, working on singles, EPs and full albums across jazz, pop, electronic, soul, R&B, rock and acoustic music. My role is to bring clarity, depth, impact and consistency to each project while preserving the character and emotional intention of the original mix. I also prepare masters and alternative versions for streaming, digital distribution and physical release.