Recording artist/producer from Canada with songs in the top 40 back home. Recording and producing music for over 20 years. I'm a multi-instrumentalist/arranger. I studied theory and harmony at University and can orchestrate and write vocal harmonies fast. I also own a class A recording studio in the Malibu mountains, a short drive from LA.
As a producer/engineer I love working with developing artists and helping them hone their sound. I've spent lots of time on both sides of the glass in recording studios and know how important it is for the artists to feel open and free to express themselves. I always like to meet the artist in person or on zoom, show them the studio, listen to music and discuss projects before we get started. I mostly work with singer-songwriters and indie artists.
As a multi-instrumentalist, developing chord progressions, harmony and song arrangement is my speciality. I work a lot with chords and chord voicing so the song has the most natural flow and musical impact. I record with real piano, analogue and soft synthesizers, real drums/percussion and I score for strings, brass and orchestra and record with live musicians as well as extensive sample libraries.
I offer complete album production services from pre-production to mix/master.
Prices vary a lot depending on the type of production you're looking for and the time and people involved.
I offer in-person sessions at my studio Ranger Station Malibu or can work with you remotely.
PLEASE INCLUDE A DEMO OF THE SONG YOU'D LIKE TO WORK ON AND/OR A RECORDING OF YOU SINGING.
Message me through the 'Contact' button above with details about your project and I'll get back to you pronto.
Click the 'Contact' above to get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Languages
- Chinese
- English
- French
- Spanish
26 Reviews - 10 Repeat Clients
Endorse Ben Wilkins
check_circleVerifiedWonderful to have my brother work with Ben. Ben is incredibly positive, supportive, and provides ample creativity to get the sound you want.
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Ben is the best!!! Top notch experience in his lovely studio. Would 10/10 recommend.
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Awesome to work with Ben!!!
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Incredible working with Ben. If you have a musical idea he can bring it to life!!
check_circleVerifiedBen was an absolute pleasure to work with! Fantastic communication and super quick turnaround! More importantly, he is incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and professional. 5 stars! He also came up with so many great ideas and alternative suggestions that I absolutely loved. Highly recommend!
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I am working with Ben on my first track as a singer-songwriter. He's a pleasure to work with. As a producer, he's very perceptive and well-rounded in his musical influences; does a great job of understanding the artist and fleshing out their creative intent.
check_circleVerifiedI worked with Ben out of his GORGEOUS Malibu studio and it was an incredible experience. Ben is a very skilled instrumentalist and has top tier studio equipment that made my song sound extremely professional. We tracked live piano, bass and drums and they ended up sounding absolutely pristine. Ben is an artful producer who thinks out of the box and knows just what elements to add to a song to make it pop! Thanks Ben for an experience I’ll never forget!
check_circleVerified (Client)Amazing producer! highly recomended to work with
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I had a great experience working with Ben; He is a very talented musician and helped me bring my song to life! His patience, knowledge, and dedication to music will ensure a wonderful song!
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Great work as always!
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Amazing experience working with Ben. If you are interesting in bringing a song to life, I would highly recommend him.
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Ben is awesome! So fun to work with, beautiful studio, quick to understand what I was looking for, and created some beautiful music. If you are looking for a producer who can do it all then look no further!
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Great experience working with Ben! He is a super talented musician and has made this track come alive!
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Not only does Ben have a great setup setup with top of the line equipment (and a beautiful view), but deep knowledge into both the technical recording and music theory side of things. All of these aspects helped me finally get the sound that I have been trying to achieve. I would strongly recommend anyone who is trying to get a professional style recording.
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Incredible experience working with Ben today. He is a musical wizard, just what I hoped. The studio is so beautiful and inspiring too with the view of the mountains. Can’t thank you enough!
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Ben is a great producer who really gets that organic sound. He was able to capture the vibe I wanted for my 3 songs with his clear understanding of my vision and brought the songs to life in his beautiful studio overlooking Malibu. He does a great job at finding musicians and is patient and super helpful with recording vocals. It was such a pleasure working with him.
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I had a great experience working with Ben! His musicianship and the audio quality were both fantastic, and he delivered exactly what I needed. I look forward to working with him again in the future
check_circleVerifiedI've been working with Ben for a number of years and it's never less than an excellent experience. He's a mellow but straightforward and hardworking co-writer, and a lot of fun (and also fast and decisive) in the studio.
check_circleVerifiedBen is an exceedingly talented musician. He's a reliable and helpful communicator and added to the way I think about my writing. Looking forward to working with him again.
We had a great experience working with Ben. His recording space was not only well-equipped, but also clean and comfortable. Ben was as professional, knowledgable, and communicative as he was friendly and hospitable. He did a great job of allowing my band to experiment and encouraged new ideas while also providing expert feedback both musically and technically.
Interview with Ben Wilkins
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I wish I could say digital because it's really fast and fun to work in the digital space but I've filled my studio with great sounding analog gear and can't believe how much better everything sounds with high end preamps and great mics. I use both but I do as much analog front end as makes sense.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love working with artists to create beautiful records and I love that every day is different.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What kind of record do you want? What are your artistic influences? What are some recordings you specifically think sound really good?
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been performing and writing music since I was a kid. I got a music degree at Mcgill University in Montreal where I studied ear training, classical and jazz theory and sound recording. Since then I've been touring, writing, producing and recording.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Use your ears and your imagination, try not to let the computer screen matter.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I've worked on everything from dance to classical to jazz but most projects are singer-songwriters or indie.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I'm an arranger and multi-instrumentalist. So if your song needs real strings or brass, I can write the parts and hire the musicians. If it needs almost anything else I can most likely play it and come up with the parts. I also work with singers to capture their best performance.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My studio is a work of art in its own right. It's a class A recording studio in the Malibu mountains with incredible gear and stunning views. A full gear list is available on www.RangerStationMalibu.com
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: So many! Especially multifaceted ones like Quincy Jones, Jon Brion, John McEntire, Cornelius, Beck, Milton Nascimento, Anderson Paak
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I help artists with all parts of the songwriting and recording process. Often that means recording entire albums at my studio, writing and recording parts, tracking and comping vocals, creating harmony parts, and recording session players when called for. The goal is always to help the artist make a beautiful record that is uniquely them.
I was the Producer, Recording Engineer in this production
- Last Day On Earth - LJ Mercer
- Alex Thériault - Ça doit être vrai
- On Call - Roy Lucian Baza
- Ben Wilkins - Day to Day (feat. Bonnie Pointer
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It takes 1-2 weeks to turn around production on a song. One revision is included, additional charges for more. No refunds due to time invested. In-person recording sessions available by request.
- ATC SCM25A
- Apollo X16
- Burl B2 Bomber
- Neve Shelford channel strips(2x)
- Chandler TG2
- Maney Force
- Neumann U87Ai
- Coles 4038 (matched pair)
- AKG C451a (matched pair)
- 1987 Baldwin L Grand Piano
- Vintage Gretsch Drum Kit
