Production Advice

unlock the potential of your music

Q: Production Advice ? I don’t get it, what’s the point of this site ?

A: Please check out the About page, and this blog post for more information:

Mission Statement: Why This Site Is Here

Q: I love the idea, but none of the “Packages” are quite right for me, I want…

A: No problem !

The packages are there to make it easy for people to get started, but I’m happy to be flexible. So say you want advice on getting a better guitar sound on your track, for example – just sign up for the Special Introductory Offer, sending me your mix and an email explaining what you’d like my help with, and I’ll take it from there. If in doubt, please email and ask.

Q: The prices seem quite expensive – how do we know you’ll give good advice ?

A: Three Reasons:

First – my credentials are impeccable. I have the experience, ears and perspective to give you the advice you need. Crucially, I’m a mastering engineer as well as a recording and mix engineer, giving me a unique perspective that you won’t find anywhere else.

Second – I want to help you make your mix the best it can be. That was the reason for setting up this website – it’s what I do.

Third - If I can’t give you good advice, I won’t take your money. If your mix is already fantastic and has reached it’s full potential, I’ll tell you ! Free of charge.

Still not convinced ? Give it a try - Click here to get your first piece of Production Advice at a special introductory price.

Q: What should I put in the email you ask for ?

A: You don’t have to tell me anything, if you don’t want to – but in general a quick note explaining who you are, and anything you think I need to know, is always useful. Here are some suggestions:

Who you are – the artist, engineer, manager…?
What you like about the track
What you don’t like about it
What you are trying to achieve – are you trying to emulate something similar ?
Anything you are already planning to change
Anything you DON’T want advice on, for example arrangement, songwriting, instrumentation, performance
Anything you particularly DO want our opinion on

The more information you give us, the better chance we have of giving you exactly the feedback you most need.

Q: What if your reply is too technical / not technical enough / too specific / not detailed enough ?

A: This is another reason the email can be useful – it can give us an idea of your level of expertise, and the kind of information that will be most useful to you.

Just to be clear, though – Production Advice can’t teach you how to be a producer or sound engineer. My goal is to focus and direct your existing skills, to get the best out of your mix as-is. So you’ll need a certain level of technical understanding to get the most out of our services. Having said all that, I want my replies to be useful to you, so if you feel something I’ve suggested is unlear, or not detailed enough, let me know, and I’ll always try to clarify things.

Q: When is the best time to get advice from you ?

A: That depends… but as a rule, there are three key times. (1) Right at the beginning of the recording process (2) Towards the end of the mixing and (3) Any other time you’d like my opinion !

(1) At the beginning of the recording process: because the best way to ensure a good mix, is to get good recordings and good performances to begin with. For example, one good tip to get wide, spacious sounds is to try recording things in stereo – acoustic guitars, for example (look out for a blog post about this). But if you’ve already recorded all your guitar parts, that wouldn’t be very helpful advice, since you wouldn’t want to go and re-record them all !

So, I suggest you get in touch with us early on in the recording process, so we can give advice like this soon enough for you to put it into action. For example, when you have guide versions of one or two songs and are about to start re-recording some of the parts.

Remember, I won’t take you money if there’s nothing to fix. The chances are, the suggestions we make will be useful for all the songs you’re about to record, so for a small investment you can dramatically improve all the tracks on the album.

(2) At the end of the mixing: because this is the best time for last-minute tweaks and adjustments to get the very best out of the mix. Also it’s good to spot anything that may have sneaked under the radar, before finishing the mix and booking a mastering session. This is an ideal time to use the “Lightning Flash” Quick Response on a couple of tracks.

(3) Any other time you’d like my opinion: Don’t feel restricted by those two examples, they’re just ideas – the whole point of Production Advice is that I’m here ready to help, whenever you decide you need me. If you’re in the middle of a trick mix that just isn’t working, are about to record a band and can’t decide how to mic up the kit, or have a finished mix you’re not quite sure about – whenever it’s good for you.

Would you like experienced, affordable, professional feedback for your recordings?

As an experienced mastering engineer and producer, I can give you the insight and analysis you need, exactly when you need it. With Production Advice, you are in charge. Click here to get expert, impartial opinions to make the best choices for your recording and mix early in the production process.