Often times as artists and creators we run into that terrible wall known as writers block. It happens to all of us and can be extremely disheartening and debilitating. When i’m having a hard time working on getting a song finished or struggling with new ideas, I take a step back and create something different. My newest source of inspiration has been visual art. I’ll come home from the studio after a long day of recording, mixing or making music and sit down and create. Our creativity wells are just like muscles, the more we exercise them the stronger they’ll be. I’ve found that creating something every single day is the best way for me to stay inspired and keep my ideas fresh. Being in a constant state of creation also induces creativity. Id rather come home after a hard day and flex my creative muscle than mope around and get down about myself. Shoot me an email and let me know how you flex your creative muscles.

Over the past few years i've been constantly adding to, perfecting and changing my mix template.  I remember when I used to work on a console I didn't have a template, I just put if the faders, started patching gear and ran with it.  There were things that I would do every mix, and pieces of gear Id always use but it was never as simple or detailed as my mix template.  Every song, every album and every artist all come with their own challenges and they all need different elements of my template.  After every project I tent to update my template, it grows as I grow.  My template has audio tracks and aux tracks. The tracks all have plugins I know ill want once I start mixing, the tracks are also routed to the various busses they need to go to.  I keep all the plugins and busses inactive or deactivated so that when I start theres no processing going on and I can quickly turn on a bus or plugin to do what I want.  It may not seem like it at first but having all the routing and plugin assignments done before I even hit play is a HUGE timesaver for me.  I update my template vigorously so its always stocked with my new favorite plugins.  Another huge timesaver for me has been making my own presets in plugins.  For example I have a preset in one of my favorite eqs the Fabfilter Pro Q2 called ZB E Gtr, This preset has a high pass filter starting at 120HZ, a cut at 400HZ and a boost at 4K.  I cant just pull up my preset and say the guitar is done, but its quick way for me to start working on the guitars in the track. 

With shrinking budgets and demanding clients I need to be able to work very quickly and thats exactly what my template has allowed me to do.  For anybody thats interested in taking a look at my template id be happy to share it with you, click the contact page on my website and send me a message!