George Ezra

Grech opted for a simple, streamlined mixing process when working on George Ezra's Paradise. In the Paradise session, Grech used 73 tracks, cntaining additional elements such as kick sample tracks and a snare track. Several auxiliary tracks were included, adding delays and reverbs. Grech condensed individual instrument parts such as bass, guitar, synth, and piano into single stereo tracks. The backing vocals initially spread over approximately 20 tracks, were consolidated into six.

Grech divided the lead vocal track into two segments to apply varying treatments to the pre-chorus sections. Despite the simplified layout, the session included hundreds of plug-ins, heavily concentrated on the Akai MPC loop, bass, guitar, and vocal tracks. Grech used colour coding to organise the session.

Grech uses busses sparingly, claiming that the desired sound should be realised with no more than 10 inserts per Pro Tools. At the time, Grech's go-to audio plug-ins were the UAD API compressor and the Waves Audio's RCompressor to achieve specific effects and control frequencies across the tracks. He frequently uses a high pass filter to manage low-end frequencies and prefers plug-ins with graphical interfaces.

Grech has a particular stance on handling vocals, where he usually prefers to remove pre-existing audio plug-ins to shape the vocal sound from scratch, except in instances where a unique effect that adds value to the track is present.^[25]

Scissor Sisters

Grech played a significant role in producing the Scissor Sisters' first album. Trained at RAK studios in London and having worked with renowned producer Nigel Godrich, Grech initially joined the project to assist with recording live instruments but eventually took on a larger role, including mixing.

For the Scissor Sisters' first album, the goal was to build upon the existing electronic essence by integrating a richer depth and warmth by adding live instruments. Grech-Marguerat recommended Sear Sound for recording, citing its quality equipment, including vintage microphones and a desk created by Rupert Neve, which expanded the band's sound.

However, the decision to retain the entire project in Apple's Logic Pro, a software they used for ongoing writing and recording, presented a significant challenge. Grech-Marguerat would have preferred transferring the programming to Pro Tools, a platform he found more user-friendly for mixing and audio editing. Grech circumvented this issue by creating a parallel G5/Logic setup. Although this required the cumbersome process of reinstalling and licensing numerous plugins and virtual instruments.

Despite initial difficulties, the setup eventually proved effective, allowing for a fruitful collaboration with band member Scott Hoffman.

Recording sessions were conducted at Sear Sounds Studio A, with the inputs channelled through two MOTU 24 I/O audio interfaces. To accommodate the recording needs, they expanded the system to have 48 inputs and outputs, facilitating intricate recordings such as dedicating 12 inputs solely for drums.^[32]