Production, Singing & Mixing

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Mixing in Luna or Pro Tools Studio. Interfaces: Apogee Symphony Desktop, Duet 2 & Apollo Solo Monitor: JBL Headphones: Audio Technica M50x UAD Satellite MacBook Pro 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 8TB SSD Storage & i9 CPU

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

A: Can's Skylark's "Timebomb" as a mixer, editor and recording engineer. She's such a talented sweetheart. So many great things have come from it as well. It's been #1 in South Africa so she's got a great buzz going with lots of drive. I love working with artists that have such a drive and passion.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Filipa's next singles. www.filipamusic.com

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: The best of both worlds. They complement each other. I use the sound and punch of analogue in combination with the clarity, clean, crips characteristic of digital.

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

A: To deliver your vision on steroids at the exact deadline that you need.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The joy of a happy and beyond satisfied client and the feeling when you listen back to a mix you did a few months back and go "Man, that sounds so good!!"

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

A: A specific 2 channel converter I'm not going to mention:), a neve pre amp rack, a compressor that I love on vocals, my favorite EQ on vocals and a computer with Pro Tools in it. It's all I need.

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

A: Ben doing this for about 16 years. I graduated with a Recording Arts degree from Full Sail University and then started interning at the world class Chalice Studios immediately. From interning, I started as a runner and absorbed every nugget of wisdom from producers like Danjahandz, mixers like Spike Stent and singers like Justin Timeberlake. The biggest of the biggest make records at Chalice. After a year I moved up to assistant, while also freelancing as engineer on the side for artists and songwriters like Keri Hilson, P. Diddy and Rico Love. In the beginning of 2010 Adam Anders picked me up as one of his engineers to work on Fox's hit show Glee. We worked on over 400 songs together in all sorts of styles, from pop to broadway, from rock to hip hop, to swing, you name it. Vocal production galore! After 3 and a half seasons of Glee I started freelancing again and found myself working with producers like Giorgio Moroder and the Wojahn Bros. I've been doing this now for 8 years in the professional world, 13 if you count the time I started recording bands with my Roland 8 rack.:)

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Creatively intuitive with a solid technical foundation. I work very fast in the beginning of a mix because a lot of ideas jolt out of my brain so I execute them instantly. At the same time I have a system that I follow to get me from A to Z in the shortest time possible with the best results.

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

A: Artists with amazing songs, that have a fan base, a social network that shows they are actively pushing their career, that have the talent, the charisma and the looks to make music with staying power.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: The mixing of a song starts as soon as you set the first mic on an instrument, not at the pre, not at the EQ or compression in the box.

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

A: Music that breaks norms in a fantastic way. Pop, rock, EDM, urban and many others. Working on Glee has allowed me to work in practically all music styles, from Broadway to hip hop.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Mixing, singing, and production.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Life! I want it to sound bigger than you can imagine, make you feel something. A goosebumps, sad like you want to cry, or groovy so it makes you move. For me it also has to sound cool. If it works, but it doesn't sound cool that doesn't fly with me. I bring an instinctively modern polish that maximizes the life and energy in a song.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: First, I discuss direction and what the vision of the artist or producer is for their song. Then take that and create it instinctively with what the music tells me to do. For detailed specifics about how we'll work on your project based on your needs, please contact me:)

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

A: Max Martin, Shellback, David Guetta, Spike Stent, Michael Brauer, Chris Lord Alge, John Shanks

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

A: Mixing, recording and editing. A lot of making vocals sound incredibly amazing with the music and making the music sound larger than life.