How would you define your main role on most of the projects you work on at the moment?
Mastering engineer, vinyl cutting engineer. I also offer half speed vinyl and immersive mastering.
Please tell us a bit about your musical background. How did you get started in the music industry? What was your pathway to your current role?
Like many engineer stories it starts with some failed bands, after struggling to find musicians as committed to butchering Grunge covers; I started experimenting with electronic music, a computer can’t let you down right? I was so naive.
Eventually after some experience recording local bands I worked for a CD manufacturer, whose clients often requested mastering. Back then there wasn’t much info readily available apart from ‘Bob Katz – Mastering Audio’ which had a picture of a Manley Massive Passive in the glossy picture section, so we purchased one of those! We built the place up until it ran its course, which eventually led to the job at Air Studios, this was somehow 12 years ago.
What or who inspired you to follow this path?
Glyn Morgan, an unsung hero who runs the Chinnery’s music venue in Southend, gave me my first studio job and let me sneak in through the bar to watch passing bands for free. Being around this music got me hooked and many years of long hours for little pay ensued.
The mastering engineers I admire the most include Howie Weinberg who did a lot of the alternative rock records I’ve listened to since my teens, Greg Calbi who masters loud but interesting sounding records and Ray Staff who taught me disc cutting and got me on the Bowie work.
Are there any highlights from your work that you are particularly proud of?
I’ve been very lucky to meet and work with some legends but my main passion is working with new bands. There’s something exciting about that stage of music making with your pals and I guess there’s some part of me that lives vicariously through them having come from that background.
Some recent records I loved working on include Divorce’s debut album, they’re fantastic songwriters who make warm, evoking, country tinged alt rock. It was also an honour to work on Bowie’s studio album ‘Toy’ and I enjoyed the second Honeyglaze LP which blends talky, almost folk vocals with Midwest Emo grooves and melodic guitar lines.
What’s one tip you can share with other MPG members that could help their workflow?
Put in the work outside of sessions to improve your technical knowledge and workflow. Build DAW templates, test gear thoroughly, read manuals. When you’re on the job you want as much of your energy dedicated to the creative part of the process as possible. If you don’t, you’ll always be wondering why something is missing without being able to pinpoint why.
What’s one tip you would like an MPG member to share with you?
I’m always keen to hear about other’s experience with managing situations and people. It’s often an overlooked part of the process with so much to retain, but it’s vital.
Do you have any words of wisdom for people wanting to get into a similar music production role to yours?
Never become the person who says “but I’ve been doing this for x years so I know better.” Your experience got you the gig but there’s so much to learn from the people who hire you. Ask yourself “what can I offer differently?” it might initially seem like a limited scope, especially within mastering but after you truly open the hood and analyse your approach and environment you realise there’s always growth to be achieved.
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