Mix and Master engineer

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

A: I mixed a song called Starving for Netflix, that was a demo that is now picked up by a big name. When its published i will tell who. Also i did a song for Jon Guelas that got to be the song for a global TV series called He's Into Her. I had to match the mix quality of Spike Stent, as it was meant to sound global.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am working on a new band that does Synth Pop. Fresh kids that have ears like hawks!

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

A: I will check the list, but basically i think that everyone has a place so i will endorse everybody! For now.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! Because they are equally awesome. Digital multitracks rock, especially from my RADAR converters. Analog multitracks rock because they add what was not there, and its extra for free! Analog dynamics generally win in a mix, but digital compressors rule in mastering. Digital bussing is very clean and very good. Analog mixing has an edge when you know what to do to make it have that edge. The answer is the FULL dynamic quality of the individual input sounds when fed from digital to analog in FULL SCALE using every BIT depth possible. Taming that signal analog will make it quieter within the mix, but the BIT depth will remain intact. The advantage is that the smallest detail in percussion for example will remain within the analog mix, and might get calculated away a bit in a full digital mix making the fine details of a mix get dulled out. However! Many analog mixing desks are dull themselves, like the mid-class to low class desks will. The MCI 500 series and for example the API and SSL desks have not got that problem, as their audio path is wide-band and can be compared to Class A sound.

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

A: You will own everything, AND you will be happy! We will fix this mix!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The assurance i can win over the matter offered. Its re-assuring and very cool to give back something that came in dull and small, that turned into something that shines and sparkles

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

A: How is it possible i can now hear all percussion, all vocal articulation and where does this extra mile width and depth come from... Howcome my mix in comparison sounds like a dull rectangular square box lying flat between the speakers with that hole in the middle...

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

A: The biggest misconception in this job is that I am NOT the boss in this mix, and YOU are also not the real boss in this song... It's actually the SONG that is the boss, and we are only here to help that brainchild grow and blossom.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: 1 Send me the rough mix. 2 What market do you aspire to and what bands or songs inspired you to write and produce this. 3 IF there is a weak spot in this multitrack that needs fixing, are you willing to work that out. 4 What examples do you want your mix to be able to compete with.

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

A: Know what you want, but also make sure you use the 35 years expertise i can bring to your advantage.

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

A: Prophet 5 S900 Lexicon 224 AMS reverb The studio DAW PC running Reaper

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

A: I started in 1987, took 2 years to get into production of jingles for Radio and TV, endeavored House music heavily inspired by The KLF, went to produce and publish with my own music publishing firm dealing with labels like Columbia, Ariola, BMG, Sony etc.. Quit working in music temporarily in 1999 because of the MP3 disaster and Napster. Returned in 2003 doing Italo Synthesizer stuff, started producing others that thought i was the closest to the best Italo since Memory Records and did thousands of live music and television shows on air as broadcast soundmixer. Since 2017 back at the studio, but now with an investment of three-quarter of a million in all the gear i think i could or would ever need. A life-choice really....

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Aspiring to get stuff larger than life.

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

A: Depeche Mode because they were my all time inspiration, and i think i would add to their new records what i have been missing since Violator.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: A compressor should help... Not hinder... Dynamics are the sparkles of the gold. Rid it all and your music will become as dull as unpolished old copperware.

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

A: From Italo Disco to POP and from Blues to Classical mixes. But also Metal, Singer Songwriter stuff and TV series theme tunes. Or even sound for toys and commercials.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: The strongest is EQ! I can dig out the tiniest EQ issue in one source out of a full mix, find that source and FIX IT! I also think i can make a big staged mix, use every space within the stereo field and have a mix soundstage be open, high, deep and wide. My vintage well maintained monitoring is that what has stood the test of time in hit sounds. The JBL4310 praised by Bruce Swedien, the AR18 praised by Hugh Padgham, The NS10M praised by Bob Clearmountain and the Tandberg Studio Monitor praised by me!

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: It will sound like your rough mix, but all the weak spots will be gone, it will be a much more engaging, exciting track as elements that went underwater in your rough mix will actually be heard and will have a great place in the 3D picture of your song.! Three, yes three actual dimensions within your mix! I will also focus your mix on the heart of the matter! Weak sounds will be fixed to become larger than life without beeing out of the intended balance . I can dig up detail in percussion and acoustic guitars and FX and will use pinpoint panning accuracy because the mix is mainly analog where i will actually have that pinpoint quality... Not that wobbly placement of backing vocals, they will actually stay where the need to be.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: * Multitrack comes in, linear tracks without reverbs or effects other than the ones that make up your sonic creation. What is MONO gets sent as a MONO track and Stereo remains stereo. * All tracks are the original sounds at FULL LEVEL. Because original dynamics get lost when you send crummy levels. I listen very, very carefully to your rough mix, i decide what needs help and what's already great in a few passes of your rough mix. I open the multitrack and listen to the individual tracks, check them for ultrasonics, unwanted whistles, pops and clicks. Then i decide to go Top-Down or Bottom-Up in building the mix. That depends heavily on the genre. For this example i choose Bottom-Up. Then one more pass of your Rough Mix and i will build a rough drum and bass balance. Then i will think about the spacial info, choose or program the initial reverb types i need and i put the first guide instruments in. Then i check out the vocals on this basic backing. Tuning is checked, dynamics are tamed a bit to find weak spots that need to be clip-gained, not whacked... I will stop here, as you will have seen by now what i am about... These previous stages are 5 to 10 percent of the actual mixing.. :-)

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio, wow. Where do i start... Okay... The Console is the MAMMOTH MCI JH556D-LM i obtained from originally Atlantic Records New York. Yes, the Mixroom of Atlantic in 1981 had THIS exact console in it. serial #226. I restored it to new condition in 2017 / 2018 and it sounds breathtaking. The main outboard: Lexicon 224, 300. Urei 1178, 1176, LA12. DBX160VU / 161VU / 165VU, 160A, 160XT. Neve 33609. API 2500. AMS RMX16, DMX 15-80s, Eventide H949, H3000, EMT 245, Quantec XRS, White Model140 analyzers (Pink Floyd's from Brittania Row) Distressors, Ursa Major Space Station 282... Pff endless list really.. Website has more! Oh and all best synths, samplers like Fairlight CMI3, Emulator 2, 3, Emax1, 2. All Akais ever built, Kurzweil K2500. All Roland samplers ever built. Lets just put it simple. There are 70+ analog vintage synthesizers here,.. Including the Jupiter 8, Synthex, Prophet 5's 10, Memorymoogs, Moog Source. Lets cut the b.s., there is everything here that you will ever need for a winning song.

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

A: My very close and dear friend / mentor Michiel Hoogenboezem (Ten Sharp, Simple Minds) is the one that really seriously inspired me. And i worked with him for over 20 years now. Trevor Horn / Steve Lipson, of course! Phil Harding as mixer for various great POP acts from Swing Out Sister to Take That. Pete Hammond, also for his majestic mixes in the realm of POP. I worked with Pete also in retro sounding synth pop. And of course, you cannot miss HIM..... He brings the CHRIS to it! CLA! Within POP, and i competed with him too in mixing... Mark Spike Stent. He WAS the mixer of The KLF!

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

A: I mix around 3 to 5 songs weekly from a diversity of sources. Beeing TV specials to POP releases. Since i built the new control room i also started doing MASTERING a LOT, but not from my own initiative. I was asked to do it because of my precise monitoring and my ability to find the edges and limits in music while remaining musical and good.