The Full Production Process
Pre-Production
We’ll kick things off with a bit of pre-pro to make sure every part of the song is as strong as it can be in terms of arrangement, tempo, key, and individual parts. This could mean sitting in on a rehearsal or doing some quick, messy demo recordings to get a feel for how the songs really flow. The goal here is to solve musical questions early so we can focus more on sound once we hit record.
Recording
With the songs dialed in, we can deep dive into tones and textures. This is where we make creative decisions on everything from which drums to use and how they’re tuned, to which amps, pedals, and mics will shape the sonic identity of your record. The aim is to fill out the world throughout the record, making an exciting listening experience moment to moment.
Mixing Prep
After tracking wraps, my assistant and I will take a little time to get everything organized. Tracks are cleaned up, labeled, and prepped for mixing, routed through my gear, so the sessions run smoothly and all attention can go toward the mix itself.
Mixing
Then I’ll dig into balancing and sonics, finishing off the record with some final polish, bringing the vision we’ve been chasing to life.
Revisions
Revisions are where we fine-tune everything and get the mixes exactly where you want them.
Focus on problems, not fixes. If I understand what you’re aiming for, I’ll find the best way to get there.
Gather notes as a group. Make sure everyone in the band has discussed and agreed on changes before sending them.
Send one message per round. A single, organized email keeps everything streamlined.
Use a simple bullet list with timestamps. Go in song order from start to finish. No need to separate notes by member or instrument, as I work my way down the list, song by song.
Ideally, the first revision should cover nearly all your tweaks, but I include up to three rounds of revisions per song to make sure we land exactly where you want, before additional time or scheduling shifts become a factor. I’m also totally happy to schedule time for the first round of revisions to do an attended session, either in the studio or virtually, so we can collaborate easier landing the final details.
Mastering & Delivery
Once the mixes are approved and exactly where we want them, they’ll be mastered and ready to upload!
Scheduling & Payment
A good rule of thumb is about two days per song, plus an extra day or two up front for pre-pro depending on how many songs we’re doing. This typically ends up being more than enough time, but I like to build in some buffer so we’re not rushing and can take our time having fun and diving in deep. Extending projects at the end can affect both scheduling and cost if it overlaps with other projects.
Mixing is usually scheduled about two weeks after we finish recording, at one day per song. It’s important to keep the project on its intended timeline, since delays in recording often mean pushing mix dates.
Payment terms 1/3rd upon booking, 1/3rd at the start of recording and 1/3rd on last scheduled day of recording.