The story so far

Ever since a young age Nick expressed a very keen interest in music, and first learned to read and play music by the time he was 8. At the age of 12, after years of experimenting with different genres and instruments, he realised his true passion and calling was behind the other side of the glass.

He spent many of his high school years researching various components of recording as an extracurricular activity – often prioritising this self-directed research over his school assignments. It wasn’t long until Nick bought his first mixing console and microphones. Although very basic, they allowed him to further experiment at home and begin learning the fundamentals of recording. He began gaining some experience in the school studio before deciding to graduate school early and study at SAE Institute in Auckland.

Nick dedicated all of his time to studying and learning during his time at SAE, clocking up double the studio hours than the average student, and occasionally spending entire weeks without going home. This persistence and enthusiasm soon led Nick to win various awards at his graduation – including “Top Audio Student of 2007” and “Best Recording of the Class”.

Nick spent a few months experimenting in live sound before entering York Street Studios, where he worked full time for 15 months with many of New Zealand’s top bands and musicians. During this time he also worked with many highly respected local and international engineers and producers on all projects ranging from choir to metal, hip-hop to hardcore and everything in between. His experience gained from working within this range of genres, combined with techniques learned from various engineers and producers, has helped Nick to craft his own personal style of engineering.

In March 2009, Nick moved to England to join the team at Modern World Studios in Gloucestershire. He soon began engineering and assisting on projects of all sizes for both local and international artists, including Sade, Jesus Jones, Napalm Death, The Duke Spirit, and producers such as Phill Brown, Ken Nelson, Dave Eringa and Sean Genockey. This range further exposed him to a broad spectrum of recording techniques he has since incorporated into his own engineering style. Nick fully immersed himself in the working environment, working long hours for weeks on end driven by the desire to excel in the music industry.

Due to visa restrictions, Nick returned to New Zealand in March 2011 to continue his work in the music industry. With the range of experience he has gained in recent years, Nick can approach any project with confidence and a passion like no other, and the ability and confidence to achieve top results. For any more information, email Nick at nick@nickpoortman.com.