Production

Production Philosophy

In the field of music production I am, first and foremost, a sound engineer. Whether recording in controlled studio environments, or on-location for film or broadcast media- my goal is always the same: to make the cleanest, most true-to-life recording with the tools at hand. In addition to being a recordist- I also find myself involved in quite a bit of post-production work for indie film productions as well as sync music for television.

I have produced many music albums in my career and coached dozens of bands and solo artists on their path toward finding their own musical identity; both sonically as well as in their songwriting.

How, when, and where to record an artist is a decision that I typically make once I have come to know the songs as well as the “personality” of the artist. Every studio has its own personality that stimulates the “vibe” of the recording sessions. What is good for one ensemble is not necessarily good for others, so I find that getting to know the artist is an important factor as I find a delta between what makes the artist thrive vs. what technical requirements I must consider in capturing the sounds (instrumentation) of the artist.

Tools of the Trade

So for you techies- I have owned many remote recording rigs over the years, which has allowed me to work across multiple studios or other venues. Most studios today have their own DAW’s- however I prefer to cart my own DAW around because I know exactly what I am going to get sonically.

The Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

For the uninitiated- we producers used to recorded on tape- however the “DAW” is now the recording medium mostly in-use today to record music (and there are still a few tape studios around). A DAW is typically a computer and a series of outboard devices that facilitate the transformation of sound into digital bits and bytes that we can manipulate on our computers. There are multiple DAW software choices in the marketplace today- and busy producers generally need to understand more than one in order to be able to collaborate with other musicians and producers through a common toolset. My DAW proficiency includes:

  • ProTools
  • Logic
  • Garageband (IOS)
  • Auria Pro (IOS)
  • Harrison Mixbus
  • Reaper
  • Vegas
  • Sonar
  • Tracktion
  • Luna
  • StudioOne

I have my own home-based mixing facility for my recording and mastering projects.

Producers who’ve influenced me include- Bill “Sputnik” Spooner, Martin Birch, Bill Laswell, Todd Rundgren and Robert “Gopher” Harris. In my schooling, I actually studied with Gopher Harris and Bill Spooner. Their different approaches to the recording process really influenced the way I worked when I got started with recording in the 1980’s; and I am eternally grateful for their contributions.

Finally- I am a former voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the Grammy’s) and through such organizations I try to stay involved in the greater music community beyond my own microcosm.


Making Music

During the week I try to write a song every day. Well- they are really song “arrangements” with drums, bass, rhythm guitar and sometimes keyboards. So they are full songs minus the lead instrument(s) and vocals. For any budding musicians and/or producers- I highly recommend this practice. It’s a great way to develop your playing chops and experiment with different applications of harmony, different music styles, and/or whatever else you want to do.

I use Garageband on an iPad and the process is very fast. In fact- once you master the process- it only takes about an hour each day to kick out a song. The songs pile-up on my iPad and every month I have to stop for a few days and mix them down in Logic. Once in a while I will develop a song that strikes me as “good enough” that I will take it all the way to full production (or at least put it in my queue). Here are a few examples of the daily tunes from the past year…


Collaborations

I can’t list every collaboration I have had here- I simply don’t have the time to manage such a list. I have worked with a ton of artists in capacities that range from fully produced albums down to simple location recordings of performances. So here are a few of the highlights…

  • Rik Wright’s Zen Tornado
  • Rik Wright’s Fundamental Forces
  • Rik Wright
  • Tannar Brewer / Thinkbomb / Gunbunny
  • James Whiton and the Downtown Apostles
  • James DeJoie Quartet
  • Safe Behind Glass
  • Mische Eddins
  • Awkward Star
  • Jaime Robert Johnson (aka: Crunchbird)
  • Nicole Friedman / Hummingfish
  • Jory Kahn / The Swivelhips
  • Lost Dog
  • 4321 Films (RetarDEAD)
  • Erik 4-A / Vagrant Studios / Studio V
  • Howlin’ Houndog and the Infamous Losers
  • Scream Radio
  • Jackhammer Trio
  • Margarine of Terror
  • Klingon Battle Cruiser
  • Subspace Transmission
  • Ghidra
  • Dennis Rea / Axolotl
  • Sambusa
  • Lisa Rein
  • Elain DiFalco’s Fabric
  • Tony Grasso Saxophone Quartet
  • Sadhappy
  • Paul Hoskin / Bolt
  • Ol’ Cheeky Bastards
  • Bob Gemmel
  • Robert Roe / Alta Tu
  • Bruce Brophy
  • Peter Johnson

<Production Playlist Coming Soon!>

I am engaged in productions with a few different songwriters today, as well as working on a solo album. If you are interested in working with me please see my Contact page.