How did you become a producer?
It was a natural progression from my beginnings as a musician in grade school. After high school I became attracted to the record making process, and I began engineering and mixing in college while playing in cover bands. It was only natural to combine the two. And, after being in enough engineering or mixing situations, you sort of naturally make the transition after a while.

What was your first production project?
My first production was with a band from Dallas called Daughter Judy. I went to Dallas to be an intern in a couple of recording studios and on a 48 track remote truck. In exchange for my free labor, I'd assist and learn from the in-house and freelance engineers. Also, I could have all the studio down time I could eat. So, I produced and engineered an EP for this band in exchange for being able to crash on their couch for a few months. I actually listened to it last week, and it doesn't sound too far off from a lot of what I've done since, for better or worse.

Where did you learn the most about production? A particular project? A mentor?
I learned a lot from watching everyone I came in contact with - producers, engineers, artists, gophers, mixers, musicians, assistants, etc. Again, for better or worse - sometimes watching the tiny (or huge) mistakes of others is the best teacher. I suppose the biggest leap came when I began working for producer / remixer Arthur Baker at his Shakedown Sound studios in NYC in 1987. It was a combination of trial by fire and a 24-7 schedule - total, relentless immersion into the craft, into an area of music where I had very little experience. It was an amazing time. I witnessed a slew of production and mixing ideas and techniques there, and I got to work with a wide variety of material as well as people. Many notable artists, producers, engineers, and musicians passed through those doors. I learned a lot there, much of which I still practice. I also witnessed plenty that I'd never repeat.

What attracts you to an artist?
An artist is somebody that has something to say, and lives and breathes what they do. They're on a journey. When I sense that, I know I want to be a part of it.

What do you see that’s common between new acts that you produce?
They are more knowledgeable about the industry (or what's left of it) as well as the mechanics / technicalities of record making, given the laptop revolution and miniaturization of the recording process. Anything and everything is ultimately useful, so it's no surprise that some of their Garage Band ideas can make it to the final mix. On the downside, all of that computer tinkering can lead to less accomplished musical chops - practice time gets sacrificed for Powerbook time. There's only so many hours in the day.

What are the budgets that you’re working with like these days?
Tiny! A lot less than they used to be ... the 90's are indeed over. A number of projects are now funded by management or third party investors, with the aim to own masters and then license them however they can - TV, films, ads, ringtones, etc. If I didn't have my own space - which I can discount accordingly - a lot of projects wouldn't happen. That would have been unheard of a decade ago.

Has your deal significantly changed with the budgets?
Yes, because people are figuring out new and unique ways to compensate me aside from the tradtional advance against royalties. I still do a fair chunk of work in the traditional manner, but the shift continues to grow toward this model.

Do you have a preproduction process?
I think preproduction is the most important phase of a record - it sets the tone for everything. Mostly, deciding crucial things like song selection, structures, tempos, getting the gear up to snuff, and figuring each other out on a musical and personal level.

How long do you like to have for preproduction?
A week is great, but realistically at least a few days before recording begins, provided there's a lot of discussion over email with mp3's. Different projects require different degrees of preparation or rehearsal.

Any tricks that you use during preproduction to get to know the artists better?
I don't think that I really have anything in the line of tricks. All I usually do is reveal myself to the artist in the sense that I'm as obsessed with turning over every rock in search of answers as they are - they kind of get that pretty straight off the bat, and that's usually enough of an icebreaker. Really, it's just about revealing my love of the process, and my irreverence for pretty much everything else.

Do you have a secret for keeping everyone in the studio happy?
I think it's down to empathy - as in, what would I want the producer to be doing if I was the artist, and going from there. So, it's not really much of a secret if you picture yourself riding shotgun as opposed to driving, and not wanting some sort of total nutjob behind the wheel. I make sure everyone feels like they've had a chance for their voice to be heard, and their musical ideas to be pursued - even if it's not my cup of tea. It's a subjective process, and I'm the first to admit I don't know everything and I can't tell if even the strangest, least obvious idea might lead us somewhere until we go there. You don't know until you try it. That seems to be the only absolute.

Any diplomatic secrets?
Knowing when to keep my mouth shut.

What do you look for in an engineer?
I usually engineer a lot of what I do, though over the last few years I've been in the habit of having an engineer for major tracking sessions so I can concentrate on the bigger picture and not watch the meters and listen for rogue noises. I don't really have any specific criteria other than making sure an engineer is a good personality match and his process, like mine, is mostly invisible. It's cool to have somebody I'm not that familiar with, to see what they add and what gear they use, so I can continue to add to my own bag of tricks.

How long do your sessions normally last?
Anywhere from 10 to 12 hours a day. It's tricky to say as every project is different depending on the level of skill of the players, how many songs we're doing, what sort of sonic makeup we're looking for, and the amount of searching we'll need to do. I'd say around three to four weeks for an album, on average.

How many days do you normally reserve for tracking?
See above.

Do you have any tricks for getting the best performances out of musicians?
Not really - it's pretty much all common sense stuff. One advantage to being a musician is knowing what it feels like to be at the other end of the red light, so I get it.

I keep my end of it as invisible as possible. Make sure they can hear themselves well - decent headphones can make or break everything. Be mindful of the arc - that there will be a period of acclimation and feeling the way through a song, and then they'll crack it. But, record everything, as one never knows if a first take will be a magic interpretation, or a warmup will yield a happy accident. Memory is cheap, so there's no reason not to hit that '3'.

Do you have any tricks for getting the best performances out of singers?
Make sure they sleep enough and stay in good spirits. Don't save all the vocals for the end, that always creates a pile of stress. Again, catch the arc. This whole thing is like surfing - when you feel the wave coming, make sure you're on it.

Do you use a mixer other than the engineer you used for recording?
I generally mix everything I do unless there is a pre-determined idea to have the project go through another set of ears at the end. I tend to have an idea of where I want a project to go musically and sonically, and a lot of that can be mix dependent.

How many alternative mixes do you do?
Aside from the usual suspects - more vocal versions, playback tracks - I do tons of stems so I can make any sort of edit or remix later without having to do a full-on recall, if I can help it.

How do you choose a mastering engineer or facility?
I've been really happy with Sterling Sound the last several years - Greg Calbi, UE Nastasi, George Marino. Between the three of them, I can get whatever I need.

What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
When I was an intern in Dallas, for one week I assisted an engineer named Larry Wallace. Larry was the first hot-dog engineer I'd ever worked with. He traveled around the country freelancing. Totally passionate. He'd use duct tape and spit to make a tape machine work. He'd stand on his head to keep the session going forward if he had to. He said that if you can make a career between these two speakers, count yourself lucky. And I do.