Mastering

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

A: There's a lot of things I'm proud of. Some of them include albums for Rick Ruben like Johnny Cash (Cash V), Red Hot Chili Peppers (Stadium Arcadium), Jack White (The Raconteurs), where I was the tape operator.. calibrating and playing back the mixes as the engineer I assisted at Sony (Vlado Meller) mastered them straight from tape. Others include a restoration job I did for Legendary reggae producer Clive Chin which was featured on BBC news where I transferred unheard Bob Marley and Peter Tosh recordings of the original tapes. Finally whenever a single or an album I mastered is doing well on the charts is a great feeling. I've had times in NYC where I'll hop in a cab and hear the song on the radio and say to myself "hey I mastered this song" which is probably the best.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Currently working on an album for a new artist on Rock Nation. Also have an album I'm mastering soon for the artist "Dixson" who was recently nominated for an academy award for a song he made for the King Richard soundtrack with Beyonce.

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

A: Cooper Anderson is an old friend / Client of mine I happened to see on SoundBetter. He's a great mix engineer / Producer.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Usually analog or both. There's usually at least one plugin that makes its way in the chain but not always. Sometimes all digital is great for the transparency.. especially if everything was to tape and mixed all analog of its Jazz or Classical.

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

A: 100% satisfaction

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I get to work in music and am well respected by people I think are great.

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

A: Are you available? Yes!

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

A: That anyone can do it. There's so much that goes into the design and equipment, plus learning frim people who have the actual history and track record.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I usually ask what style of music, did you go to a studio of not, professionally mixed, do you like the mixes?, would you like some advise on the mixes?

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

A: There are a lot of places to get your music mastered nowadays.. but I still believe you get what you pay for and going with someone like myself who has dedicated so much of their lives to be the best really makes a difference.

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

A: Well if I was on a desert island I probably would just bring a bunch of keyboards and a laptop.

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

A: I've been a mastering engineer for 20 years. Before mastering I owned a recording studio in Chicago for a few years. Then decided to go back to College on the East Coast (Berklee). At Berklee I worked as a student Tech fixing SSL consoles and calibrating tape machines weekly. They also had a mastering class which I was really into. When I graduated I moved to NYC and a friend who I worked Tech Crew with at Berklee got me an interview at Sony Music Studios. The rest is history.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is pleasant on the ears, 3 dimensional, and tasteful.

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

A: I mean of all time it would be Bob Marley.. he was my favorite as a kid. Nowadays maybe Roger Waters.. a friend of mine is his keyboard player and he still brings the original keyboards from Dark Side of the Moon on tour!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Remember that any piece of advice you ever get is just someone's idea. Weather or not it's the right decision it is up to you!

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

A: The type of music I usually work on is pretty all over the place. I've worked on everything from the Metropolitan Opera to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the past and have equal respect for all styles of music. I've done a ton of well known Jazz artists as well as a lot of up and coming artists for labels such as Rock Nation, Def Jam, RCA Records, etc., plus a ton of indie rock bands in the NYC area. I also master soundtracks for motion pictures such as several Ken Burns documentaries and Netflix comedy specials.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is knowing right away what a song / mix needs in order to live up to its full potential. Also being able to work on so many genres of music in the past and taking the time beforehand to get a full understanding of my clients goals.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: When I master a song, what I bring is confidence in my decision making. Not only have I had the privilege of assisting and being able to ask some of the most elite mastering engineers (at Sony) what they would do in a particular situation to solve a problem (such as sibilance, muddy low end etc.), I also bring a musicians ear to the table as I'm a pianist as well who has studied Jazz and Classical music his entire life. One of my EQ's available frequency selections are all set to every note on a piano. It sounds crazy but it really is a musical EQ in that I can make certain notes louder or quieter (such as a bass with uneven pickups). Beyond that I have several types of outboard equipment such as solid-state compressors for punch (API 2500), tube compressors for tone / warmth (Thermionic Culture Phoenix Mastering version and Tube-Tech SMC-2BM), Analog EQ's (Bettermaker), Analog Saturation (Vertigo VSM Mix Satellite), vintage compressors (NTP's), vintage tape machine (MCI JH 110 1/2") and Weiss EQ and compressors for ultra transparent processing.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My typical process differs from project to project. For example.. if a major label contacts me to master a single, EP, or album for ons of their artists.. chances are the mix engineer know what he's doing and I'll do my best to work with what I'm given. On the other hand, if an independent artist contacts me who either did the mix themselves of had a friend mix it, chances are they have the ability to recall the mix session and possibly make a few changes bases on my feedback before I start mastering. I find this gives the best results in scenarios where their listening environment is not the best.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My Mastering suite was originally designed by George Ausperger for Sony Music Studios in NYC. Luckily for me as a staff mastering engineer when Sony announced it was closing operations permanently I had first dibs on the room I worked in (mastering suite M6). There were also two other identical mastering rooms on the the same floor of the studio and I was lucky to get additional panels / acoustic treatment for the transplant at Blackler Mastering. I built the room to the same dimensions as it was in Sony. I even chose Bushwick as the location because there were open / industrial lofts available with 12 foot ceilings (essential for proper height after the floating ceiling is installed). All of the original gear was also purchased from Sony but after 15 years I've pretty much replaced all equipment except for a few choice pieces of gear. I still have my original speakers in another room at my studio (more for sentimental reasons). I had a few reputable people from Sony help with the original designs who had set up other historical studios in the past, plus my personal knowledge of acoustics from my studies at Berklee College of Music. The end result is a controlled room that is not too dead sounding but a more real-life listening environment that translates well.

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

A: Luckily I'm fortunate to have lived in NYC for the past 18 years and most of the professionals I look up to are either clients, close friends, or both. At my mastering studio I have a lounge in the back with a beautiful upright piano. Sometimes after a session with a world class pianist I'll invite them to the lounge and play for them. Then I'll get a master class from them if there's time and I feel like I'm the most fortunate person in the world getting wisdom from them in such a unique setting.

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

A: Most commonly I always try to figure out how I can help achieve my clients goals with their music / recordings. I work on all genres of music as well as audio restoration, comedy albums, poetry etc. I've mastered everything from the Met Opera to Pop / Rock and my approach is always the same. I'm happy to offer advise on mixes before mastering (optional) as well as any revisions to the finished master (if necessary). Every day at my studio is always different with various styles of music throughout the day. I could have a female Jazz vocalist in the morning and an LA surf-rock band over in the evening. I've always found that a seasoned engineer can hold his or her weight in any genre.