I’m Paul, and I help musicians get their studios working again.
I’ve run Audio Support since 2005. I work one-to-one, mostly over a remote screen-share, with anyone whose music technology has stopped cooperating: people recording their first songs at home, composers on deadline, DJs, podcasters and professional producers.
You book an hour, tell me what’s going wrong, and we fix it together while I explain what I’m doing.
How I got here
I started out in the early 2000s recording my own bands, and learned the hard way how temperamental digital audio could be. I went on to study Music Technology at the University of West London, earning a Foundation Degree and then a BA (Hons).
In 2005 I set up Audio Support with Julian Oliver, a friend from the course. We put small adverts in Sound On Sound and Computer Music offering Logic, Pro Tools and Cubase lessons, and I started travelling around London to people’s home studios. Julian later left to start his own equipment business, and I’ve run Audio Support myself ever since.
About half the time, we couldn’t start the lesson because something in the studio wasn’t working.
A missing driver, a faulty cable, software that kept crashing. So I became a technician as well as a teacher, and that combination is still what I offer.
I’d already been running sessions remotely for years when lockdown arrived in 2020 and suddenly everyone needed to record at home. Today most of my work is remote, with clients all over the world, and I still visit studios in London and around the UK.
For 17 years alongside Audio Support, I also ran music projects for children with special educational needs, until the support work got busy enough to need all my time in 2023. That work teaches you patience, and how to explain things clearly without ever making someone feel slow. I bring the same approach to every session.
It’s still a small business. When you book a session, you’re working with me. For hardware that needs repairing on the bench, I work with my friend Matt at Logarhythm, who I trust completely.
When I’m not fixing studios, I play bass in a 90s tribute function band and jam on modular synths with friends on Twitch.
What working with me is like
No question is too basic
Plenty of my clients are brilliant musicians who never wanted to become computer experts. Whether the microphone just isn’t switched on or you’re untangling a complicated routing setup, you’ll get the same patience and respect.
“So personable and funny as well as super supportive and patient … definitely a natural teacher.”
I keep going when the obvious fixes don’t work
By the time people reach me, the problem has often already beaten the help pages, the forums and YouTube. That’s usually where I start. I work through it methodically until we find the real cause, rather than guessing or blaming your equipment.
“He has never been stumped in the years he has helped me.”
You’ll understand your setup better afterwards
I don’t take over your computer and fix things silently. You watch everything I do and I explain it in plain English as I go, so next time you’ll know what to check.
“Paul was really helpful in solving problems with Logic Pro … & also taught me about some other more general Logic things as well.”
The kind of problems people bring me
Some take ten minutes, some take a few sessions. A handful of recent ones:
- “My mic sounds choppy when I stream with OBS.” Set up a Focusrite Scarlett, VoiceMeeter and Windows audio so the stream went out cleanly to YouTube and Facebook Live. Read how
- “Logic keeps dropping out when I record vocals.” Apple Support had suggested reinstalling drivers. The real culprit was a damaged headphone cable. Read how
- “I’ve moved Cubase to a new Mac and lost all my plug-ins.” Restored every Steinberg plug-in through the new Activation Manager. Read how
- “Cubase takes forever to load, then freezes.” Traced a ten-minute freeze on the splash screen to a Waves licence conflict, and fixed it with the right update. Read how
- “I have three songs stuck on my old Atari ST from 1985.” Got them into Cubase over a MIDI cable, ready for new sounds or his original Roland Sound Canvas. Read how
- “I want to record my organ and turn it into sheet music.” Captured three channels of MIDI from a Viscount organ into Cubase and Sibelius. Read how
Some clients book me regularly. I’ve spent five years supporting Jim Stuart, a retired musician in Mexico, from his first Cubase install to rebuilding his studio on a new PC. I also worked with Derrick R Brown every week for a year, taking him from a home studio that didn’t work to releasing his own music.
Software I work with most: Logic Pro, Cubase, Pro Tools, Ableton Live, FL Studio, Reaper, Sibelius and OBS.
Hardware: audio interfaces from Focusrite, Universal Audio, Audient and others, plus MIDI controllers, synths, DJ setups and older studio gear.
Not on the list? As long as it’s to do with music technology, I can probably help. Send me a message and I’ll let you know.
What happens in a session
Book an hour
Each session is £90 (about $110 or €120). My usual hours are 10am to 7pm on weekdays, and I can do other times on request. You can check my availability, then book a time.
We talk and connect
I’ll call you on WhatsApp or Google Meet and help you open AnyDesk so I can see your screen. You see everything I do, and the access only works for that session.
We fix it together
You tell me what you’re trying to do and what’s getting in the way. I work through it with you, explaining as I go.
We check it works for real
Before we finish, we test it the way you actually work: record a take, open your projects, play your instruments. You’ll also know what caused the problem.
Things people ask before booking
I’m not very technical. Is that a problem?
Not at all. Most of my clients would rather be making music than reading manuals. If you can describe what’s going wrong and open the apps I ask you to, we’ll do the rest together.
Is it safe to let you onto my computer?
You watch the whole session and can end the connection at any time. The remote access is set up for that session only and stops working when we finish. My remote access policy has the details.
What if you can’t solve it in an hour?
By the end of your booking you’ll either have the problem solved or a road map to the solution. For example:
- If something needs replacing, like a broken cable, I’ll help you find the right one to order.
- If hardware needs a workshop, I’ll help you arrange it.
- If a manufacturer’s support team needs contacting, I’ll help you write to them in the right technical language.
- If another session is needed, I’ll tell you the steps and what it will cost.
What if you fix it in ten minutes?
The whole hour is yours. We can look at other errors, tidy up and optimise your system, or talk about how to take your music further. I’ll also show you what caused the problem, so you can fix it yourself if it happens again.
Can you come to my studio?
Yes, in London or pretty much anywhere in the UK. Send me your requirements and we’ll work something out.
I’m not in the UK. Can you still help?
Yes, I work with clients all over the world. Sessions are in English, and there’s more on my page for international clients.
“My problem turned out to be deeper and more complex than we thought … His determination, patience and generosity of spirit never wavered. It was his attitude, calmness and intelligent problem-solving that really impressed me.”