Business Offer

Personal profile

Bad Cop Audio is operated by sound engineer Mark Blanford. I am a musician and a songwriter. I became interested in recording and production after years of paying over the odds for recordings that I would invariably be unhappy with in some respect - usually due to insufficient time to capture the appropriate quality of performances, lack of proper guidance/support from the engineer or even a poor quality mix. But with costs so high to start with, it was usually something that just had to be accepted. I began to think that there had to be a better way, so I decided to learn about recording myself. From early experiments with a cassette tape 4-track, I progressed through various technologies, learning more and more about production, recording and mixing every step of the way, before finally arriving at Pro Tools, which continues to be my primary platform today. The journey included gaining an HND in Sound Production from Jewel and Esk College (now Edinburgh College) - an experience which gave me two years to play and learn with high-end studio gear - including SSL AWS900 mixing desks, a fantastic array of outboard gear and access to more high-quality microphones than I could have hoped. My work at Jewel and Esk also earned me the 'Golden Reel' - an award recognising the achievement of the best sound production by a student, judged by Grammy-winning mix engineer Simon Gogerly (U2, Paloma Faith, Gwen Stefani) and presided over by Sam Wetmore and Mike Banks from SSL. Winning this award resulted in my spending 2 very interesting and educational days in the studio with Mr. Gogerly. By far the most important lesson I have learned over the years exploring production and recording is to listen; to both the artists' needs and to the sounds and music being recorded. It really is the only way to maximise the quality of the recording. In addition to recording, I have many years experience as a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter/arranger, so I am more than happy to offer any knowledge or advice I have that might improve your recordings - you need only ask!

Company profile

Bad Cop Audio is a friendly and professional high-quality production/recording/mixing enterprise. My aim is to reduce both the cost and the inconvenience often associated with recording without compromising the quality. Though I work primarily out of the excellent rehearsal rooms at The Wel, the Bad Cop Audio recording rig is mobile, so I can provide a high quality bespoke recording service tailored to where and when is most convenient, working with you to bring your project to fruition, from pre-production all the way through to the final, professional quality product. I generally work on a flat fee basis (which will be agreed upon after discussing what you require from the project), encompassing as many recording/overdub sessions as required to make a truly special piece of work. This means those per-hour studio time/money issues need not cloud your judgement on the quality of the work. You can also ask for multiple mix revisions if you're not happy with what we produce at no extra cost. Please have a look at our list of services here and listen to examples of our work here My prices are very competitive, and can be tailored to the specifics of your project - if budget is a concern, please get in touch and we can discuss how best to proceed. After all, it's in my interest to give you an outstanding product as much as it is in yours! Gear: MacBook Pro with Intel i7 2.66GHz quadcore processor Pro Tools, Logic and Reason software M-Audio Profire 2626 audio interface 16 channels of preamplification by M-Audio and Focusrite Microphones from Shure, Sennheiser, AKG, Audix, SE, Oktava and Audio Technica