MPG Member Highlights
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Nuno Fernandes
VEVA Collect is the premier file-sharing and project management platform for audio professionals worldwide; from songwriting to mastering, ensure your credits are accurate, keep your audio and files safe, and collaborate in new ways.
Q
“Nuno, for those who don’t know you, can you give us a quick introduction?”
A
“Sure, I trained at Berklee College of Music in Boston before arriving in LA to be an assistant engineer for the American Music Awards and the GRAMMYs, and then in 2011 I moved to London working as a freelance engineer and producer. I’ve been fortunate to work on project’s with Bryan Adams, Jeff Lynne, Procol Harum, KT Tunstall, Pete Brown and Phil Ryan, Curved Air, London Grammar, and Chiddy Bang. In 2018 I moved back to Portugal (where I’m from) and have been working with artists on both sides of the Atlantic and India, recording, mixing, remixing, programming, arranging, and orchestrating… wearing several hats and enjoying it!”
Q
“LA and London, whilst very different, are considered music capitals of the world, how is the music scene in Portugal and has this led to you approaching work differently?”
A
“Yes, I’ve lived in both London and LA, two very prominent music cities, with a music industry community. I’ve worked on several exciting projects here in Portugal, but the market is not as big as it is in the UK and US, so I’ve also focused on online mixing more.”
Q
“Has working remotely led to you adopting a different approach to your mixes?”
A
“Working online you have to be flexible as you don’t know what projects you’re going to get. Every day you show, see what’s come in and deliver it quickly - it’s a bit like speed dating in the music - you have to take a mix and deliver it within 6hrs or so for the client to approve - that’s both challenging and fun. It keeps you on your toes and is always changing… but if I wanted my days to be the same I’d have got an office job!”
Q
“How do you collaborate online with artists you are producing? Are there specific tools you use to help your workflow, share audio and manage projects?”
A
“It really depends on the project and where the client is based. For Musiversal mix work, I use their platform and tools (Zoom and Audiomovers), for my mix clients through EngineEars I use their platform for file delivery and Sessionwire for meetings and mix recalls, as I find it a more elegant. solution. For work that I am producing/recording with remote talent I find VEVA a good solution as you can keep all the interaction in one place and keep track of the necessary information to track credits. And we all know how credits are important!”
Q
“Can you speak to some of the challenges you’ve experienced working in a more remote set-up?”
A
“Well you never know what you’re going to receive, what genre, how many tracks, so you can’t really use mix templates in the same way as you can when you specialise in a certain genre.You’re working with people you have never met (and and will probably never meet), so you have to deliver a mix for them that they like having no preconceptions, it helps you deal with imposter syndrome. When you work with the same people in such a close studio environment you become friends and you can be self conscious that they are saying they like it because they’re nice, they don’t want to hurt feelings and sometimes you don’t necessarily believe it. Online you’re working with people you’ve never met and they are honest in their feedback, so it makes me feel validated and good enough.”
Q
“You recently qualified in Dolby Surround Sound - how was that process and do you enjoy mixing in surround?”
A
“I did the EngineEars certification course with Brian Malouf but I was into Atmos since I saw a Ceri Thomas presentation back in 2021 (?) at the online NAMM. It’s a really cool medium and I think it offers great opportunities to do great work. At the moment it still feels like the Wild West with best practices being slowly defined… It’s a bit like the early days of stereo where some things just don’t make “sense” this days.”
Q
“How long have you been a member of the MPG?”
A
“It’s been a long time, maybe since 2012? I can tell you I’m member 51. I really like the way that the MPG arrange meet-ups - there is a real sense of community and I definitely miss those. Covid hit when I moved to Portugal so that stopped me forming the same kind of relationships like I had in London - the MPG is fantastic at bringing people together like that.”
Q
“What are some projects you are excited about at the moment?”
A
“I am really enjoying working with Musiversal! The variety of genres is really refreshing and keeps me flexing my chops. One day it can be orchestral cinematic music, next day 80’s AOR, followed by some Bossanova. And the stream of work has been pretty steady which was refreshing to me not having to hustle constantly.”
Q
“You’ve worked in the studio for a long time - do you have any stories you could tell?”
A
“I had one project where I was in the studio recording final vocals that had to be delivered the next day. The manager and exec producer for the artist didn’t like a bridge on one of the songs and decided to change it, so whilst I was recording vocals in one room, the songwriter and producer were in another room re-writing the bridge… To say that project had a time crunch is an understatement!”
Q
“Any other funny stories?”
A
“When I was still a student, George Massenburg would come regularly to Berklee and do workshops and masterclasses (weren’t we lucky?!). One of these masterclasses involved recording a power trio. The guitar player had a stereo setup with two amps, a Fender Hot Rod DeVille and a Pignose GV40 Pro. Mr. Massenburg looked at me and said: “Make them sound the same!”. I closed my eyes, prayed to the tone Gods, and twiddled knobs in both amps until I thought they sounded balanced and similar. I opened one eye and looked up… I got a nod of approval from George Massenburg. I was happy!”
Q
“Is there anything that you haven’t worked on yet that you would love to try?”
A
“I would love to have a try on an epic film score, but I have to say I am pretty happy with the wide variety of work I am getting at the moment.”
Q
“Dream artist to produce
(living or dead)?”
A
“Right now, Queen. But ask me again in 5 minutes… Oh, Extreme… Jeff Beck… Peter Gabriel.”
Q
“What tips/advice/hacks can you give to the MPG members?”
A
“Buy and wear earplugs at shows, on the underground, etc… Keep Hydrated! Check Member Benefits before making any purchases!”