From hitting the studio with the likes of Seal, PJ Harvey, Simply Red and Rufus Wainwright to world tours with Madonna, Ali Staton knows good sound when he hears it. In our discussion, the busy Engineer/Mixer takes us from his first gig at the BBC through working on Multi Platinum Albums to his latest mixes - using Sonnox Oxford plug ins.

Tell us about your background in this business.

I knew that I wanted to work in a studio while still at school and managed to get work experience with the BBC, initially at Maida Vale Studios and then with the Outside Broadcast Unit. That convinced me that I was indeed on the right track.

After leaving school I worked as a runner at a couple of small studios in South London, eventually finding my way to Marcus Studios where I worked as a freelance assistant for a couple of years. This was my first experience of a major SSL/Studer studio and I really enjoyed my time there. I learned a lot from the staff - especially Chief Engineer Tim Hunt.

Following that I worked for Island Records as the In House engineer. I stayed at Island for nearly 4 years and worked with many of the Artists that were signed at the time including Pulp, PJ Harvey, dEUS and even some Bob Marley tracks.

In '96 I mixed the debut album for Manchester band Lamb including the single 'Gorecki'. That raised my profile enough to allow me to go freelance.

I spent most of the following years producing and mixing and had a few high profile successes including Daniel Bedingfield's 'Gotta Get Thru This', Simply Red's 'Blue', tracks on ‘Up All Night’ by Razorlight and Rufus Wainwright's 'Poses' where I worked with producer Damian Legassick.

What are your current projects?

I spent most of 2008 on the road with Madonna, as tour programmer, and go back out with that tour in Europe for the summer of 2009. I also did some of her TV and promo appearances including Live Earth at Wembley Stadium.

I also worked with producer Stuart Price on the Seal album 'System' which included a Grammy nomination for the single 'Amazing'.

So which do you prefer, recording or mixing?

Although I do love recording I seem to have found myself focusing mainly on mixing over the years. When I bought my first Pro Tools system in '98, I really embraced the concept of working in a DAW. Back then it was a real struggle with the lack of processing power and also the quality of the converters, but I could definitely see the potential.

With the coming of Pro Tools HD, multi-core Macs and the immense range of plug-ins that are out there including Sonnox, the creative possibilities are really amazing. I am now pretty much working ‘In The Box’ and am loving it. With the changing music business climate, the ability to do so allows me to quickly work on a variety of projects.

Tell us about your use of Oxford plug ins. What artists have you used them with?

I use the EQ, the Limiter and Inflator and have had great success with them all.

The Inflator has come in handy for a couple of projects - notably Maya Barsony (SonyBMG) it allowed me to add just the right amount of warmth and excitement without it sounding squashed. On a couple of occasions it's been the finishing tool that’s truly made the difference. I also used the EQ quite a bit on Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan's album 'Sunday At Devil Dirt'(V2). Recently I've been using the Limiter on my mix buss and drum buss. It really seems to make the drums come alive.

Do you have a favorite Oxford plug in?

I love the EQ for sure - it's is just so open sounding. I always use it on my mix buss for really transparent top end boost above 16k. I also use it to clean up low-end mud, as it's really quick to find troublesome frequencies and help define and sculpt the sound with. The ability to switch between the types is great too, type 2 and 4 are favs.

Can you share any specific techniques using them?

The filters are the first thing I tweak. I try to EQ mostly by cutting frequencies and so between the high pass and LMF can usually get what I'm after. The filters are a really powerful tool and an often-overlooked feature of the Oxfords. The AB function is really useful for checking that I haven't overcooked the EQ. I'll tend to flip between a couple of settings and see what feels right. Getting the sound quickly is what works for me so that I can move on. Overall though, it's just a fantastic sounding EQ with a really well laid out interface.

Interview and editorial provided by Rich Tozzoli<