FAQ
Q: Gear – The most common question – what gear do you use in your studio?
A: Universal Audio interfaces running into Logic Pro. Other DAW support is also available if needed. Monitoring from Barefoot Sound and Neumann. Outboard gear includes various preamps (Trident, Golden Age, Midas). Apple computers.
A variety of microphones (Shure, AKG, Sennheiser, Earthworks, Electro-Voice) with the Slate VMS ML1 and ML2 being a favorite.
Q: What instruments, amps, etc.?
A: A variety of guitars including Gibson Les Paul’s, Fender Telecasters, Reverend, Ibanez Prestige, Gretsch, Fender Baritone Tele. Ibanez and Fender basses.
Drums are a Tama Starclassic Birch and a Tama Starclassic Birch/Bubinga kit featuring predominantly Zildjian K and K Custom cymbals with. a few others mixed in. Numerous snares highlighted by a Ludwig Black Beauty and Sonor Protean Series.
Amps include Mesa Boogie Lonestar and Dual Rectifier, Marshall Studio Vintage, Synergy Amplification preamp modules from Friednman, Line 6 Helix, and several speaker cabinets. Way too many guitar FX pedals….
Q: Can you tell me how you work or what your workflow is like:
A: For most client projects I will work from their provided demo which is sometimes as simple as a vocal recorded over an instrumental loop or with a piano or guitar. From there, after discussing the goal of the song and the sound I’ll create rough tracks to show the direction the production is headed in. Once approved I begin filling in full instrumentation and replacing any scratch tracks as needed and begin sending rough mixes to check progress and make adjustments if necessary. Typically when the rough tracks have been approved any recording such as vocals or other instruments that the client wishes to do can begin – tracks are often done by clients at their locations and simply sent back to me for integration into the main project. Finally when all is said and done, a full mix with mastering is provided and the song is ready for commercial release.
Q: Will you do a test project or track/mix/master?
A: No. I can provide samples of my work. If I don’t feel I am the right fit for your project I will let you know that. I have the luxury of being able to take on only projects that I can attach to and be passionate about. I can work successfully in numerous genres but there are definitely areas that are not in my wheelhouse and I will be completely transparent about that with potential clients.
Q: Why “Catwerk” or “What is your cat’s name?”
A: I’ve been recording and producing a long time but my origins were pretty humble in my parent’s garage. We had a cat and she was always lounging on my gear or just hanging around me so in some ways I had to “work around the cat” thus, Catwerk.
My OG studio cat was a sweet black cat named Shadow who was my trusty sidekick for 16 years. It took us a year before we were ready to find another cat and that’s when Jersey (seen in one of the pics on the site) became my official co-producer overseeing pretty much everything I do in the studio. Ask me sometime about how she feels when I sing…