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Mixing and Mastering For you!
"Progressive Sound Audio is about me helping you get the best sound possible. It can be so frustrating getting your music out to the world and not knowing what needs to be done to get that ‘Radio Ready’ sound.
With Progressive Sound Audio I can share my knowledge and experience and work with YOU to get the sound that YOU want!"
Hi folks
I’m Smudge and I’m a Mixing and Mastering Engineer and Educator in the field of Digital Mastering and Digital Audio from Maidstone in the South East of the UK.
I have been Mixing and Mastering for over a decade but my musical journey started long before as I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MUSIC!!!!
Musical Influences
The Early Daze!
My first musical memories were from a very very young age from a time when we went on a caravan holiday and I saw a Michael Bolton tribute act!!!! (Yes I did just admit that)! My Mum bought his cassette and I remember singing along using a broom for a Microphone!!!
As a slightly older ‘Whipper Snapper’ my eldest brother gave me a tape of some of his favourite music. I must have been about 10 years old at the time but this tape was amazingly influential as it contained songs from Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Guns and Roses and more (and it also introduced me to Aerosmith who I absolutely adore)!
That was it! I was a complete Rock superfan!
I didn’t start playing an Instrument until I was about 16 years old, this was in part due to a rebellion against my Music Teacher from school as she wouldn’t let me learn to play drums! So I chose the Electric Guitar as my Instrument of choice and have since spent many hours rocking away dreaming of being the next Joe Perry or Kirk Hammett!
I am pretty much a self taught Guitarist but I had a few lessons from my great friend Mike. He is an amazing Guitarist and turned me onto Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix! This really broadened my tastes for music and taught me that I didn’t need to be headbanging constantly and dragging my knuckles across the floor to love great music!
Music was a massive part of my ‘growing up’ (my wife will contest that I haven’t actually grown up yet)! We were glued to the Jukebox in the local pub and my best mate Big Show would put on tracks from David Bowie and Queen and Mike would put on some Stereophonics or Radiohead, but then all of a sudden you’d hear ‘Crazy Crazy Nights’ by Kiss, ‘Every Rose Has It’s Thorn’ by Poison or ‘Word Up’ by Gun followed by groans of “Bloody Smudge has been on the Jukebox again”!
Those were definitely the ‘Daze’ as we had great times and many a hangover!!!
The Start of Things to Come!
I was never one who wanted to join a band as I much preferred watching others play, and quite frankly I probably would have needed quite a few underwear changes due to nerves! But my need to create music really took shape in my early 20’s!
I started with a really simple setup with a laptop and a Line 6 Guitar Interface and started to noodle around with different guitar riffs and learn about DAWs and how they worked. This started my journey of Mixing and Mastering as I wanted my ‘Noodles’ to sound better than a rough demo.
I taught myself the basic Mixing and Mastering concepts and quickly got the bug! I joined the ‘Produce Like a Pro Academy’ and soaked up as much information as I could from Warren Huart and others like Graham Cochrane from the ‘Recording Revolution’. This paved the way for me to become musically creative whilst getting into the ‘Nitty Gritty’ of Mixing and Mastering.
The Beginning!
The Studio!
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Present Day!
And here we are some 14 or so years later as a Professional Mixing and Mastering Engineer and Educator having worked on many many great tracks for released artists.
Progressive Sound Audio is about me helping you get the best sound possible. It can be so frustrating getting your music out to the world and not knowing what needs to be done to get that ‘Radio Ready’ sound.
With Progressive Sound Audio I can share my knowledge and experience and work with YOU to get the sound that YOU want!
No Ego! No ‘my way or the highway’! A Mixing and Mastering Engineer that works with YOU to create that great sounding music that your audience wants to hear.
I am also a passionate teacher in the realm of Digital Mastering and Digital Audio under my associated brand Mastering In The Box https://www.masteringinthebox.net
Mastering In The Box is my platform to help those who want to learn about the ‘Dark Art’ of Digital Mastering. My YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/masteringinthebox has followers from over 45 countries and is building a passionate community.
Outside of the Day to Day!
When I’m not in the Studio I’m a passionate family man and love spending time with my wife and two children (soon to be 3). My kids are obsessed with video games and love shooting the s@&t out of daddy on Fortnite! Oh and they absolutely hate my dad jokes but that’s a given isn’t it???
I’m an avid Football (Soccer) fan and for my sins support Arsenal Football Club who are the sole reason my fingernails are so short!
I’m also a massive BBQ fan and will frequently spend my summer afternoons in the garden with my Weber and a few tinnies cooking up some BBQ goodness whilst listening to some tunes!
I also work on writing my own music and love crafting my own songs and collaborating with other musicians to create great music.
