FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I offer bespoke packages tailored to the specific requirements of each project. My rates are competitive, catering primarily to serious but independent musicians, while reflecting the premium quality of service I provide. For a quote, please contact me via the 'Contact' section of the website or email me at [tom@twelve-tone.studio](mailto:tom@twelve-tone.studio).

Yes, I offer test mixes if you haven’t found the sound you’re looking for in my portfolio. I can mix between 30 seconds to 1 minute of music for an upfront fee of £50. If you choose to hire me, this fee is deducted from the total project cost.

This one is all about good communication, clear direction, and, if relevant, providing me with relevant reference mixes. For example, if you want “the snare sound from Album A” and the “bass tone from Album B”, that’s usually enough information to tell me what you need. If you're still unsure, there's always the test mix option (see above) :)

In the interests of efficiency and avoiding a ‘too many chefs’ situation, I prefer to do the bulk of the initial heavy lifting by myself. But I am completely open to all mixing suggestions if you think you have a helpful solution that I haven’t yet applied (sometimes, a different perspective is what’s needed!). And, when minor details need to be handled in a specific way that is difficult to communicate, I offer ‘live mix-streams’ via Zoom and Audiomovers, where we can go through a mix together and solve any niggly problems in real time. I usually reserve these sessions for when the majority of the work has already been done (so towards the end of a mixing process). But we can always have a call at the start to discuss any particular directions you want to take!

Yes, I offer an 'unlimited revisions option' for every mix. I believe setting an arbitrary limit on a creative process can create unnecessary pressure. Typically, I aim to complete a mix within two or three rounds. Here’s the usual process: The initial mix gets everything processed and balanced based on your guidelines and reference mixes. The first round of revisions addresses significant differences from your expectations. The second round adjusts smaller details, and the third round fine-tunes even further. If we reach a fourth round, it might indicate a need for a call to resolve misunderstandings. While I don’t set a firm limit, if I feel we’re going in circles or focusing on insignificant details, I may object to further work. All revisions take time and effort, and I will always strive to meet your requests unless they are unreasonable or unhelpful.

To guarantee that the work gets done, I always ask for a non-refundable deposit upfront. This is to cover my initial time spent working on the mix, and to ensure I can set aside time for you. It also ensures that both you and I are sufficiently invested in the project to put in the absolute maximum time and effort.

• The amount I ask for varies depending on the size of the job.

• For 1-4 tracks: 50% of the total fee.

• For anything above that: 25%

Usually, I simply ask for the remainder of the fee upon completion of the project. But if a project takes over a month, I usually ask for a balancing payment at that stage, based upon how much work has been completed.

Given the truly international nature of my business, I make use of a variety of money transfer services. So wherever you’re paying me from, there’s an option for keeping transfer fees to a minimum (or sometimes even zero).

I will always discuss the most mutually convenient options with you before demanding any payment.

If I’m not juggling too many projects, I can usually complete a full initial mix of a track within 24 hours of receiving the final stems (48 hours for longer or more complex tracks). Revisions are typically handled within 24 hours of receiving them. The overall time depends on how long it takes for you to send revisions and how many you request. For a full album, it may take longer per track to find a general vibe that works across the entire album, especially if there’s stylistic diversity. I may ask for a track order and mix a few tracks back-to-back to ensure the general approach works before committing to the rest of the album. If I’m juggling projects, it’s a first-come, first-served situation. I deal with feedback as it comes in and move to the next project while waiting for the next round of feedback. I never rush a job if I can help it. If you have a firm deadline, please let me know before we begin. Otherwise, assume the process will take as long as it needs to, but not longer.

If I’m taking care of both the mixing and mastering, then I will usually try to get the sound pretty close to the finished ‘mastered’ sound as we go through the mixing process. This means you should be critiquing each mix as though it is the finished product without having to second guess how it will ultimately sound (whilst allowing for possible general enhancements or refinements at the end). So I will share mixes with you at approximately how I expect the final EQ and compression settings to be.

However, there will still be some minor details that will be left to the mastering stages. Firstly, the mixes provided for feedback purposes will usually be at least a few dB quieter than the final mastered level, so please bear that in mind when listening critically. Finer details such as the exact EQ curve (do I need to shave off a fraction low-end and add some top sparkle? Or vice versa?), width (sometimes a bit of extra widening helps, sometimes it’s not needed), saturation (maybe the overall mix needs a bit more ‘thickness’ or ‘juice’?) and loudness level will be decided at the very end. The masters should usually sound around 10-20% more polished, but not drastically more than that (otherwise the masters will sound too different from the mixes that you’ve approved!).

If I am only mixing your tracks, then only the first paragraph applies :). But I will supply the premastered tracks to your mastering engineer at at least 2-3dB below the average mastered level, to give them some headroom to work with.

If you feel that another producer like Jens Bogren or Andy Sneap is within your budget, you should consider hiring them. However, if after all means of communication, including a live mix session, I’ve misunderstood your requirements, it might be an incompatibility issue. Good communication is key to solving audio problems, and I can only work as well as the feedback I receive. Misunderstandings can happen, which is why I provide a “helpful feedback guidelines” document when you hire me. In the worst-case scenario, if things aren’t working out, it’s okay to call it quits. The deposit is non-refundable to cover initial work, but you are not obliged to pay the full fee unless you are fully satisfied with the product.