Jay has been recording, producing and mixing amazing-sounding records since 1997. His discography includes heavyweights such as Anthrax, Stone Sour, Cohered and Cambria – and many more! We checked in to get some quick answers to a few questions centered around his work and where Toontrack comes in!

Did you miss the recent release of the Heavy Rock EZX – recorded by Jay himself and sampled by drummer Jeff Friedl? If you’re looking for an EZX that balances on the border between rock and metal, this one’s for you!

To rewind to the very beginning, how and when did you discover you had an interest for music and recording?
I discovered recording when I was about 20 years old, playing in bands. There was a college recording program not too far from Toronto that had a legendary producer named Jack Richardson teaching there. I thought it would be really cool to work under him and learn how to make real records. I spent two years working and learning from Jack and the other professors.

Are there any albums or projects you’d say “put you on the map”?
I would say probably Steel Panther’s first album “Feel the Steel,” Anthrax’s “Worship Music” and Stone Sour’s “House of Gold and Bones.”

Name a few productions from your catalogue that you feel particularly proud of and why?
I think the three records I just mentioned are all excellent choices, they each defined a sound for me that many clients have often referred to as the reason for reaching out to me!

In a mix, where do you usually start – the drums, guitars, vocals or something else?
I try and balance the entire mix as quickly as possible. No drum samples, no EQ and no compression other than the stereo bus, which is always ON and being mixed through. The quicker I can balance the mix and get a vibe, the better. Then I start fine-tuning, bringing in drum samples if necessary, adding more re-amping to guitars if I think it’s required, creating a vocal space with EQ and compression etc.

Is there any instrument you generally struggle with more than any other in a mix?
I think acoustic guitar and piano can be challenging in a dense mix. Upright bass as well can be very challenging.

You’re a producer, engineer and mixer – sometimes all of them at once. Is there one out of these roles that you prefer over the other?
I would say I enjoy mixing the most. It’s very fulfilling. Producing is great too, you get to be very creative. Engineering is second nature at this point, I do it without even thinking.

Name a few all-time favorite albums that you did not work on where you think performance, sound and feel all come together in perfect balance.
Led Zeppelin “Physical Graffiti,” The Cure “Disintegration,” Tears For Fears “Songs from the Big Chair,” Iron Maiden “Powerslave,” Metallica “Master of Puppets,” Soundgarden “Superunknown,” David Gray “White Ladder,” Radiohead “The Bends,” Pantera “Far Beyond Driven,” Jeff Buckley “Grace,” Faith No More “Angel Dust” and Rush “Moving Pictures.”

If you produced an album that you couldn’t mix yourself, who’d be the first name on your list for the gig?
Andy Sneap for metal, Neil Avron for rock/alt, Mark Lewis for heavier metal, Brendan O’Brien for anything alternative

If you weren’t producing records for a living, what would you do for a career, you think?
Scuba dive master, ocean preservationist.

Which Toontrack products do you regularly use and where in the creative process do these come into play?
I use Superior Drummer during the writing process, and now in the final production of the drums, depending on the artist.

Best studio moment ever?
Probably recording Brian Wilson and his daughters in Wilson Philips. Peter Asher was producing. Incredible day!