Producer and Engineer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm currently working on a record with a new client. It's kind of a genre-bending album that changes gears really quickly from track to track... even sometimes in the middle of the same song. It's a great challenge and is very exciting to work on.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. I work on a lot of projects and am often asked to make very small changes very quickly. Working in the digital world makes it possible for me to work on several projects every day, and be sure that all my mixes recall exactly the same from day to day.... even months later if needed.

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

A: My promise to my clients is that I will keep working until their song is as good as we can make it together. That sometimes requires starting from scratch and building a track from the ground up, but I believe it's worth it in the end.

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

A: I produced an album in Australia for a friend of mine from France. We met in New York, recorded solid guitar and vocal tracks of his songs, and I took the tracks to Melbourne and 'filled in the band' around his super indie/vibey songs. I mixed the record and had it mastered locally in Melbourne. The whole project was rough around the edges in the best rock n roll kind of way. He was very happy with the results and we have stayed close friends since.

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

A: Rob Murray is a good buddy of mine. We worked at Downtown NYC together and his mixing and mastering is totally on point. Would recommend him to anyone.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love the moment when I'm cutting a guitar track and I can feel the song lifting up and floating. Sounds kind of hippy-ish, but for me, that's the best moment of my workday... when the emotion of the moment takes over.

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

A: Most clients ask how long it will take. I try to give them an honest window of the amount of time it will take based on my workload and the speed at which I can create tracks. Because of my ability to work quickly, my timeframe is often much faster than they're anticipating.

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

A: The biggest misconception I've encountered is that clients less familiar with the production process is that they don't realize I can play many different instruments, and that I am able to mix all my productions myself.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I generally ask clients what music inspires them, or what music inspired this particular track. Do they have any idea of what they'd like the project to resemble? Is there an artist (other than him/herself) that they could envision performing this song? Is this music sunny, top down driving music? Is it late night whiskey sipping music?

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

A: My advice to a customer looking to hire someone like me is to be upfront about the style and vibe you are looking for. If you want a track that's aggressive and synthetic, say so. If you want something more dynamic and organic, be sure to let me know. I'm happy to work with you to create whatever you'd like... as long as I know what I'm aiming for.

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

A: SM7, UAD Apollo, MacBook Pro, Fender Strat, DT 770s

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

A: I've been doing this for over 10 years. I went to school for audio production and interned with Tony Maserati. I eventually moved to NYC to work in a big studio (Downtown Records). From there I began doing freelance work with artists and film directors. I lived in Melbourne Australia for a few years where I produced albums, scored films, and collaborated (long distance) with some Nashville artists and publishers. After moving to LA I built a production studio downtown and am currently working from there.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is rooted in rock and blues in a very general sense, but I love good pop production. My projects tend to combine these elements and hopefully bring out the best in both.

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

A: I'd like to work with Kip Moore. I think his acoustic recordings sound great, as do his more fully produced work. I think his voice is killer as well, and I think it would be a ton of fun to bounce ideas around with someone who takes songcraft as seriously as he seems to.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: I reference a lot of different music when I'm working. I don't like to copy anyone else's work, but I like to compare low end, vocal level, etc so I know my mixes will be competitive.

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

A: I usually work on a combination of pop and/or country. I also do a lot of film music.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is creating a really great rhythm section to support an arrangement. Ear candy is great, and fun to play with, but a solid rhythm section, wether it's live or programmed, is the backbone of a song. I pride myself on being able to make a rhythm section quickly find it's groove.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a lot of musical experience to a song. I'm first and foremost a fan of music... a music lover. I'm honored to be a part of any artist's production, so I try and fill in the missing voice in the room to bring balance to a production.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Typically I begin by determining the style and vibe of the song. I often start with a rhythmic element (drums, percussion) and then begin building the mix from the bottom up. I try and save as much live instrumentation until I have a solid bed of a song so that the live playing grooves and flows naturally with the rest of the arrangement. I tend to mix as I go, so if I'm sending in-prog versions to clients, they are already sounding pretty close to a proper mix.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have an acoustically isolated production space in downtown LA. I have a collection of instruments and amps, but I do a lot of 'in the box' production and mixing. I find this way of working (real instruments mixed with synths and samples) gives the best most human feel (when needed) and also allows me to work very quickly.

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

A: I'm inspired by songwriters who actively hone their craft and improve their songwriting and singing ability in both the studio and in live gigs.

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

A: I typically am hired to produce songs for artists who have completed or nearly completed songs, often recorded as 'work tapes' (guitar and vocal). I work with the artist or on my own to create a complete band arrangement of the song. We then cut final vocals at my studio, or the client sends me a completed final vocal for mix.