Mixing & Mastering

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

A: One of my first ever projects was recording, mixing and mastering 'Take A Walk With Me' by Normanton Street. I was inexperienced at the time and I personally feel the mix could be much better! However I managed to get the vibe and emotion across and the track has since reached around 1 million listens across streaming platforms. It may not be the greatest mix of mine but I am very proud to have done that at the time!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm working on an EP by a rock band called Tabora as well as some RnB with another artist called Cuvley.

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

A: I'm new to this and don't actually know anybody yet!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Within the last few months I have decided that this is a question of workflow. I'm used to working on computers and facing the screen as I started in 2011 but those who learned on SSL desks for example are likely to prefer analog due to the tactile nature of it. However a major advantage in digital mixing is 'recalls'. This is really tough on analog gear. Lastly, some plugins are really making is so difficult to hear the difference from their analog counterpart. Arturia's premaps sound amazing!!

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

A: To make your track sound professional

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love working on something that somebody has created and taking it to the next level for them (and their fans) to enjoy even more.

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

A: I often get asked for extras such as mastered stems, vocal tuning, comping, PA versions etc. If its a quick job I'll always say yes and do it for free. If it takes time then I'll provide a reasonable quote.

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

A: That I only mix 'urban' music

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What feelings, vibes, emotions do you want to convey in this song? Are there any specific elements that you would like to be the driving force?

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

A: If you have a clear idea of how you would like your music to sound, it will make the mixing process very smooth and fun too!

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

A: Tough one! It would have to be an original LA2A compressor, Urei 1176, Pultec EQ, Neve 1073 and a Distressor.

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

A: I started in 2011 playing bass and guitar in a soul band. At the same time I began music production which quickly led to me recording, mixing and mastering for many artists in Brighton/London as well as online. As I improved over the years I was able to set up the QM Records Studio at Bottega Rooms Studios which is where our record label is based.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I like to think of my style as having energy and emotion.

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

A: Lauryn Hill. Her debut album (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill) is a timeless classic for me. I think she is one of the very few artists who can both rap and sing at an extraordinary level.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Gain staging may not be very exciting but when it is done properly it can really make or break a mix

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

A: This has changed in recent years. I used to work on a lot of guitar music (rock, indie, singer songwriter) however now I'm working with much more trap, EDM, hip-hop and RnB.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Working on vocals is my strong point. I usually get very good feedback on this as it is something I have spent countless hours working on.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Over the years I have improved my ability to bring the artists' vision to a song. On top of that I ensure the track has energy, dynamics and an overall professional standard.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Before I start mixing a project I like to listen to the track a few times to get the general vibe. I'll then listen to various reference tracks provided by the client as well as those I've chosen. If there is a demo mix, I also like to listen to this too to see what the client is focusing on in their mix. Then I'll begin with gain staging and some very basic EQ'ing where necessary (such as subtle high pass filtering). At this stage I can usually get the track sounding quite good in terms of RMS levels. From here onwards I tend not to have a set structure but treat each stem/track individually and apply saturation, EQ, compression, reverb, delays (again where necessary) until the song is sounding professional. Before sending the mix off I'll make sure I do some final cross referencing with the demo mix and any reference tracks.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Fully treated mixing room with two sets of studio monitors, six analog units, ART Analog Tube Compressors, TPS II Analog Preamp, 100s of digital plugins (Waves, Fab Filter, Slate Digital, Klanghelm, Soundtoys...), various bass and guitar amps, Yamaha NP 11 keyboard, M-Audio Oxygen MIDI controller, sE 2200 microphone.

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

A: My favourite mixing engineers are Bop Power and Andrew Scheps. Their attention to detail and ability to see the bigger picture is very inspiring. In terms of artists, I'm a big fan of Kendrick Lamar, Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, Anderson. Paak plus many others.

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

A: Around 75% of the work I do for clients has always been mixing and remaining 25% is usually a mixture of mastering, tracking and production.