About
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Tod is a musician's engineer with over 25 years of experience in the industry and wide-ranging musical knowledge.
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Classically trained in piano, his high level of orchestral and piano score reading ability is a rare strength in the sound engineering world. He also played trumpet in symphony orchestras, brass marching bands, symphonic wind ensembles and sang in choirs.
Tod is extremely experienced with, and lightning fast on Avid Protools, since the mid-1990s, but cut his teeth learning and using the recording and editing techniques of 2”, 1” and 1/4” tape also since the mid-1990s. In the Recording Studio, Tod is familiar with Neve, SSL, Euphonix system5, Yamaha PM Series, Digidesign/ Avid C 24, Digico SD series and Sony DMX R100 consoles. For live sound, Tod is familiar with the Midas Pro series, Yamaha PM series, CL series, QL Series and TF series, Avid S6L, Avid Profile and SC48, Digico SD series, Studer Vista 5SR, Midas XL8, Midas Heritage H3000, Midas Venice, Soundcraft MH4, Euphonix System5, Yamaha 01v, Yamaha DM1000, Yamaha LS9, and Mackie DL1608 consoles with d&b R1 system control, d&b ArrayCalc, d&b Soundscape, Müller-BBM's Vivace electro-acoustic room enhancement system, Lake systems control, Dolby Lake processors, D&B, L’Acoustic, JBL and Meyer P.A.
Tod has a broad and wide-reaching appreciation for all genres of music because he believes that to truly know music, you need to know all music. When asked what music he chooses to listen to in his spare time, you may be surprised to hear him mention such a diverse range of favourites from Classical, Jazz, Rock, Metal, R&B, Funk, Pop, Folk, Country and EDM.
Engineering History
2007-2023
Sydney Opera House
Sound Supervisor, Live, Recording, Broadcast Sound Engineer.
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He began working as a Sound/ Audio Visual Technician in late January 2008 on a casual basis at the Sydney Opera House in various capacities in the Recording & Broadcast Studio, Concert Hall, Joan Sutherland Theatre, Drama Theatre, The Studio, The Playhouse, The Utzon Room, Forecourt, Western Broadwalk and Northern Broadwalk. In 2017, Tod became a Sound Supervisor making him a full-time member of the team where he was also involved in the planning, testing, training, opening and successful operation of the Joan Sutherland Theatre and Concert Hall refurbishments.
In the Recording & Broadcast Studio, Tod was fortunate to work as Audio Director, Recording and Mix engineer for such events as YouTube webstreams during Covid19 lockdowns of Sydney Opera House's "From Our House To Yours - Digital Season" for The James Morrison Quintet, The Wiggles, Tim Draxl, Low Life, Winston Surfshirt and more, Sydney Symphony's performance of Wagner's Tristan & Isolde, Sydney Symphony's Visions of Vienna, Ideas At The House presents: An Evening with Stephen Hawking and Australian Ballet’s HD recording of MacGregor’s Dyad 1929. Tod has also mixed live YouTube webstreams of the Sydney Symphony performances of Beethoven Piano Concerti with Emmanual Ax. Tod was also Recording/ Mix engineer for CinemaLive/ Opera Australia productions of Un Ballo e Mascera, Carmen, Don Pasquale, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly. He was also Recording Engineer for the YouTube live webstream and DVD/Blu-Ray/CD with Neil Finn and Paul Kelly 'Goin' Your Way' plus other YouTube live webstreams for Human Nature with the Sydney Symphony, Florence and The Machine [UK] , Tegan and Sara [USA], Sarah Blasko and Counting Crows [USA] among others.
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He began working in the Recording & Broadcast Studio as Second Engineer on a number of projects. These include the Exton SACD recordings of the Rachmaninov, Elgar, Prokofiev festivals and Sydney Symphony Live recordings of the Mahler Festivals and Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliette with the Sydney Symphony under the baton of Maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy. He has also worked as Second Engineer for live Television/ Satellite broadcasts and Cinema/ DVD recordings with the Australian Ballet (Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Firebird, Petrushka) and Opera Australia (Carmen, La Boheme, Cosi fan Tutti, Bliss, Lakme, Don Giovani), as well as the Youtube Symphony live web stream and a double CD of Burt Bacharach with the Sydney Symphony. He also worked as Assistant Mix Engineer to the legendary Shaun Murphy on Baz Luhrman’s film ‘Australia’. Tod also recorded the Studio sessions from The Studio venue and mixed the 2011 Bell Award ‘Best Australian Contemporary Jazz Album’ for the Mike Nock Trio’s double album 'An Accumulation of Subtleties'.
2008-2017
James Morrison Studios
Tod began working for James Morrison at his studios in Warriewood in 2008. Since then he has edited and mixed the 2015 Bell Award winning 'Best Traditional Jazz Album' for A to Z of Jazz by James Morrison and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, engineered and mixed the 2013 ARIA Award winning ‘Best Jazz Album’ for Smile by The Idea Of North and engineered the 2010 ARIA Award winning ‘Best Jazz Album’ for Feels Like Spring by James Morrison and The Idea Of North. With ARIA nominations for Don Burrows and James Morrison In Good Company (2016) and The Idea Of North Ballads (2016) and James Morrison Snappy Too (2012). He has also engineered and mixed other albums for artists such as Melinda Schneider, Sharny Russell, Frances Madden, Marian Petrescu [Finland], Jeff Clayton [USA], James Morrison, The Idea Of North, Emma Pask, Ambre Hammond, Todd Hardy, Simon Burke, Norma Martin, Rachael Thoms, Tim Draxl and Michael Votano plus other various demos, jingles and works including James Morrison’s performance of the two team theme songs at the 2009 AFL Grand Final broadcast around Australia on Network Ten and One HD.
2011-2017
The Idea Of North
Tod was FOH Touring Engineer and production manager for the two-time ARIA Award winning A Cappella group The Idea Of North with numerous concerts and festivals around Australia, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Sweden, Qatar, Thailand, Malaysia and Laos. During that time they were also awarded ‘Best Music’ at the 2013 Adelaide Fringe Festival, voted the CASA (Contemporary A Cappella Society of America) Favourite Oceanic A Cappella Group 2013 and were inducted into the MusicACT Annual Music Awards Hall of Fame 2013. He has also recorded and mixed their ARIA Award winning 'Best Jazz Album' Smile (2013), engineered their ARIA Award winning 'Best Jazz Album' Feels Like Spring with James Morrison (2010) in addition to engineering and mixing their Limelight Award-winning ‘Best Jazz Recording’ and ARIA nominated ‘Best Jazz Album’ Extraordinary Tale (2011) as well as Ballads (2016) and their popular Christmas album This Christmas (2012)
1996-2006
Sony Music Studios
Tod joined Sony Music Studios in February 1996 after approximately two years working in various studios around Sydney and London.
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Tod began his career at Sony Music Studios in the Dubbing room, slowly moving up the chain to work on various sessions in Studio B (the Audio Production room), and assisting on sessions in Studio A (the main Recording/ Mixing room). Early on in his career at Sony Music Studios, Tod was fortunate enough to assist on sessions for; Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean (U.S.A), Leonardo's Bride, Karma County and The Ghostwriters, among others in Studio A. Tod also edited various tracks for, and in the presence of artists such as Des’ree (U.K.) and Deep Forest (France) in Studio B.
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From approximately 2002, Tod regularly engineered sessions at Sony Music Studios, as well as engineering sessions at The Vault Studio, Velvet Studios, BJB Studios and Studios 301 in Sydney. He has engineered, co-engineered and/ or mixed tracks on multi-platinum selling albums and singles by Delta Goodrem (14xPlatinum, 3x Platinum and 8x ARIA awards), Guy Sebastian (6x Platinum and 1x ARIA Nomination), Shannon Noll (3x Platinum, 1xPlatinum and 1x ARIA nomination), Human Nature (Gold) and Selywn (Gold, Gold, Gold, Gold). It was here that he also first had the opportunity to work with James Morrison, the man who inspired him to become an engineer.
Tod worked on soundtracks for both film and television including releases for Garage Days, Thunderstruck, Salem’s Lot, Farscape, the ABC’s Australian Story and Studio 22.
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Other sessions in Studio B included recording and mixing numerous television and radio commercials for various SONY BMG acts and external clients, album editing and mixing, vocal and instrumental overdubbing, various voice-overs for presentations, and mixes for DVD extra contents or television specials. Tod also engineered many episodes of the ‘Toyota Outback Club’, a weekly radio program focusing on all things in the world of Country music from Australia and overseas, broadcast to over 90 regional radio stations around Australia and globally on the internet. He recorded interviews and live performances of everyone from Slim Dusty and Smokey Dawson to Colin Buchanan, Kasey Chambers and Lee Kernaghan.
Selwyn’s hit single “Rich Girl” was featured in The Nugget film soundtrack. Delta Goodrem’s demo of ‘Born To Try’ was featured in the storyline of the TV series ‘Neighbours’ on the 10 network. Under the expertise of Musical Director/Producer John Foreman, Tod engineered and mixed music for the 2003 AFL Brownlow Awards Medal Ceremony, televised nationally on the 9 Network. He has also engineered and mixed with John Foreman, over 120 backing tracks for the 2003, 2004 and 2005 seasons of Australian Idol, televised on the 10 Network around Australia.