David A. Griffiths

Music Producer and Arranger

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17 Reviews (17 Verified)
David A. Griffiths on SoundBetter

I am no longer working on SoundBetter, but am available directly or through other major platforms.

I'm an award-winning, classically-trained producer and arranger from Wales, UK, with 25+ years of experience creating world-class song arrangements and productions.

I've been acclaimed by people like Tony Visconti (David Bowie), Neil McLellan (The Prodigy) and Simon Napier-Bell (Wham!) and have a MA in Music from Oxford University.

My clients are songwriters, musicians and producers, and range from complete beginners to YouTube stars and chart-topping professionals.

Here's how it works:

• Send me a demo of your song - a phone recording is fine.

• Let me know what style song / instruments you'd like.

• I will professionally arrange your song and record all the instruments.

• You receive a fully mixed instrumental backing track.

• You can then add your vocals, either at home or at a local studio.

Get in touch and let's make some amazing music together!

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

17 Reviews - 2 Repeat Clients

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  1. Review by David B.
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    David arranged and produced my song perfectly, exactly what I wanted, delivered on time, and was a pleasure to work with. I have no doubt that I will using David again for more of the same in the near future.

  2. Review by bill h.
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    This was the first time I hade used this service and my experience was exceptional working with David fellow musicians. The work was excellent, on time as committed and David was able to create the 'sound' I was looking for. As Viceroybill, I have recorded over 50 songs but this was the first time I have worked with classically trained individuals. Thank you for the sound tracks for the second recording of "Through Your Love". Viceroybill

  3. Review by Richard Michael Hancock
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    David has the ability to create different concepts but also give it todays vibe. He did an amazing job with my latest track and I didn’t give him a lot to work with but wow! He really captured what I envisioned the track to be. Another super job!

  4. Review by NeonDuet
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    We tracked a song with the karaoke version and needed a replacement instrumental that went with the vocals, and David delivered perfectly. The music really supported and highlighted the vocals, and was also distinctive to make it more than a cover. Although we have another mix engineer, his reference mixes had a lot of really nice qualities and treatment of the vocals.

  5. Review by Cafahzj
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    He is a really professional and patient producer. I will definitely let him to produce my songs next time!

  6. Review by Richard H.
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    David brought the fire to my latest Summer track! The energy he created in all moments of the track was perfection. Thank you David for being the absolute best to work with!

  7. Review by Richard H.
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    David provided engaging and fun music to my audiobook. Also, produced and mixed with great attention to detail of the vocal and the narration and keeping within the guidelines of the ACX Standards required. I was thrilled with his work and look forward to working with him again on another audiobook.

  8. Review by Richard H.
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    David created the fun and excitement my latest song needed to perfection. It’s always a pleasure working with him and I look forward to working with him again!!

  9. Review by Richard H.
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    I had struggled with trying to get this latest track to completion for over 20 years. David did it! I'm am so thrilled to how it finally came to fruition and it couldn't have happened without Daivd's experience and amazing talent.

  10. Review by Richard H.
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    Working with David is always a great experience. You can tell he genuinely loves what he does and he has the immense talent and experience to bring out the best in each project he works with you on.

  11. Review by Richard H.
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    David did an excellent job of creating great moments in this track that highlight the lyrics an feel of the song. The production quality is outstanding!

  12. Review by Richard H.
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    I am so appreciative of David’s ability to create beautiful arrangements as he has done with my latest track. He knows exactly what instruments will make each song convey your vision!

  13. Review by Richard H.
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    It's a pleasure to work with David again on my new 2022 music. He has the unique ability to take your idea of the song and add the right instruments and create the right vibe to the song.

  14. Review by Richard H.
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    It has been another great collaboration with David on my Christmas cover song. He is immensely talented and blows me away everytime we work together. He’s always accommodating to tweaks to the final amazing product! I look forward to more collaborations in the coming year!

  15. Review by Richard H.
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    This is the 3rd track I’ve had the great pleasure in working with David on. His ability to add different instruments to bring a song to life and produce at such a quality level is a great experience every time to be a part of. I look forward to our next track to work on in November.

  16. Review by Richard H.
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    It was another perfect experience working with David on my latest track. He provides exquisite service and the quality of his work is exceptional. It’s refreshing to work with such a professional.

  17. Review by Richard H.
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    David is an exceptional talent and at an outstanding price. I sent David a bare bones track with lyrics and described what I wanted the track to sound like and from that and a reference track, he crafted amazing music! This song is really special to me and David perfectly captured the emotion of it. It was an absolute pleasure to work with him. He was very communicative and had a very quick turn around. I’m very excited to work on future projects with him!

Interview with David A. Griffiths

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

  2. A: My music production has been heavily influenced by people like Tony Visconti (David Bowie's producer), Flood (particularly his work with U2) and Gus Dudgeon (Elton John's producer).

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

  4. A: About 7 years ago I was asked to mix four tracks recorded by a tribute band called T. Rextasy. This was a real joy in itself because I love the music of Marc Bolan and T. Rex. After creating the initial mixes, unbeknownst to me, the band sent my mixes to the original T. Rex producer Tony Visconti for feedback. Imagine how happy I was to receive a message from him in my inbox! He praised the production and offered several valuable hints and tips that I still refer to today.

  5. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  6. A: I've currently producing a string arrangement to accompany a performance by Snoop Dogg, who is featuring in a song from one of my long-time clients.

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

  8. A: Don't be afraid to ask even the simplest of questions. You should feel listened to, understood and respected at every stage. Take your time when choosing and research potential producers carefully. Check out their websites and playlists - producers specialise in a multitude of styles and not everyone is necessarily right for you. If in doubt, drop them a line requesting more info. Their response time and how well they answer your questions is a strong indicator as to the quality of their work.

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

  10. A: If I were on a desert island the last thing I would be thinking about would be music production. I'd probably just get into singing sea shanties. When not trying to fight off predators or find a clean source of drinking water.

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

  12. A: I learnt piano from age 5 and started out as a classical musician, joining the National Youth Orchestra of Wales in 1995. Alongside this, I was trained in composition and arrangement under renowned Welsh composer Michael Parkin. This led to me receiving a fully-funded unconditional offer to study music at Oxford in 1996 where I specialised in advanced compositional techniques. After leaving Oxford I spent a decade fronting two bands, recording several acclaimed albums and sharing stages with artists as diverse as The Sugababes, Foals and Carter USM. During this period I gradually transitioned from one side of the desk to the other, honing my instrumental and production skills as part of the process. I finally became a self-employed professional music producer in 2019 and haven't looked back.

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

  14. A: YOU. I want to work with YOU!

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

  16. A: I've worked in just about every genre imaginable, but I am increasingly specialising in rock, gospel and blues.

  17. Q: What's your typical work process?

  18. A: Most of my clients have a rough demo or sketch of a song, and I start by discussing any ideas and requests they have for their production, e.g. instrumentation, arrangement, song structure etc. I will then transcribe the chords, melody and lyrics and map out an arrangement in Logic Pro X. Depending on the client's preference, tracks may be guitar or piano led, so I'll normally track one of these instruments first. I will then add my own guide vocal, meaning I have a complete framework for the song. Orchestration will typically include adding drums, bass, guitars, pianos and other core instruments and, if needed, full string arrangements and more. After creating an initial mix I'll send this for review and see what changes are needed. Revisions are then made, and everything is packaged up for final delivery, including mastered lossless audio files and individual audio stems.

  19. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  20. A: I work in Logic Pro X using a mix of EastWest, Kontakt and Waves plugins. My guitars include a Takamine G Series acoustic and a James Tyler Variax modelling guitar. In addition to live instruments I specialise in virtual orchestral instruments and choirs utilising the EastWest Composer Cloud suite. My pride and joy is my Kala U-Bass which has featured on innumerable recordings and has a distinctive warm sound, somewhere between a double bass and an electric bass.

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

  22. A: Most of my work is song production, i.e. taking a rough idea or demo and developing it into a fully-fledged production ready for release and distribution. I work in a huge range of genres, but I specialise in rock, gospel and blues.

  23. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  24. A: Learn when to rest your ears. Step away from the mixing desk, get a good night's sleep, come back to it the next day. Keep going and you'll never solve the problem. Come back fresh, you'll fix it in 30 minutes, guaranteed.

  25. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  26. A: Without a doubt, it's the ability to listen to a short demo, read a handful of production notes, and then hear the finished song inside my head. The challenge is always to bring this to life!

  27. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  28. A: It depends on the song. If it's in an early stage of development I'll often be asked to create - say - a chorus melody or other musical component so as to complete the initial composition. This is a particular strength of mine, since I have a 25+ year background in songwriting. Once the initial song is written, my skill is in the structuring and arrangement of instrumentation, creating contrast, tension and release. I spent years studying the production techniques of people like Tony Visconti and Brian Eno, and this feeds heavily into the arrangement component of my work. I am also renowned for my ability to listen to my clients and understand the sound and style they're looking for. I pride myself on strong communication. It's very rare for me not to be able to make the connection needed to ensure a successful outcome.

  29. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  30. A: Both! Digital is wonderful because of the flexibility and potential it provides. Virtual instruments, for example, allow me to add a really convincing string section to a song at a fraction of the price it would cost to record real strings. Though in many cases you can't beat analog. In my case, by 'analog' I mean real instruments. I play as many real-life instruments as possible on all of my productions.

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

  32. A: I will always tell you if I don't think I'll be able to create the music you're looking for. If you're unhappy with what I send you I'll do everything possible to make it right.

  33. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  34. A: I love the clients I work with. I love having the freedom to do the work I enjoy doing and the satisfaction it brings to others. Above all, I love the tingly feeling I get when a song is really starting to sound amazing.

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

  36. A: Question: can you use this very lo-fi vocal recording I made on my phone? Answer: yes, if it's a great take and suits the style of what you want me to make.

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

  38. A: Clients often assume I'm based in a huge soundproofed room with the latest and greatest equipment. This is 100% the opposite of my production ethos. I grew up working with minimal gear, recording with producers using reel-to-reel technology, based in converted barns, garden sheds and disused industrial sites. So much amazing music is produced in this way, using raw talent, authenticity and a good understanding of the principles of music production, that I tend to find I can't work in any other way.

  39. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  40. A: I ask clients to provide YouTube links to songs in a similar style or genre to the one they'd like to create. I also ask them for details of any production styles or instrumentation they'd like me to feature. I'll also spend some time outlining the process we'll be following when working together, and providing additional explanations when needed.

  41. Q: How would you describe your style?

  42. A: I grew up listening to the warm, rich vinyl sounds of people like Elton John, T. Rex, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and this has always been the foundation of my musical style. I like warm guitars, understated pianos, soulful solos and strong vocals. In other words, everything that made up the great pop and rock songs of the 70s and 80s.

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Golden Cage

I was the producer and arranger in this production

Terms Of Service

All orders include two rounds of revisions and have a 14-day turnaround. You retain all song and recording rights for commercial use.

GenresSounds Like
  • Tony Visconti
  • Gus Dudgeon
  • Flood
Gear Highlights
  • Logic Pro XI
  • EastWest PLAY Composer Cloud Plus
  • Waves 14
  • Kontakt
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