Brian Cruz on SoundBetter

Multi-Platinum awarded engineer available for recording, editing, and mixing projects. Based in Los Angeles, Brian has spent years working at major recording studios alongside the biggest names in the industry including Dua Lipa, Paul McCartney, Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, Dominic Fike, Dove Cameron and many others

After earning a Bachelor's of Science in Audio Production, I began working as a staff engineer at an A-List Studio in Los Angeles. There I honed my skills learning from the best engineers and artists in the business. I've been a part of many Gold, Platinum and Top 40 releases. My goal is to provide that same quality and service for your project.

Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Brian Cruz

Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato
Jhené Aiko
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Lorde
Jhené Aiko
Carly Rae Jepsen
Dua Lipa
The Pussycat Dolls
Katy Perry
Isabela Merced
Kyle
Kyle
Duncan Laurence
Duncan Laurence
Duncan Laurence
Paul McCartney
Dominic Fike
Dua Lipa

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Interview with Brian Cruz

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I played a small role on Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia. I also engineered on Paul McCartney's III imagined.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: For the past year I've been working on an upcoming album for a major artist, but that is all I can say.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital. It's important to know both, even work in both worlds at the same time. For example when recording I'm always running through analog gear. But for mixing I like the convenience of being able to recall the same mix from anywhere if I need to.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I just want clients to be completely happy with their final product which I why I offer unlimited revisions
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Helping create something that makes people happy
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Can you make me sound like *insert artist here*? Yes. But you should really try to be yourself.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: Being in a studio all day can be fun, but you still need to be professional and put in a lot of work to be successful.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: Things like: Is everything ready for mixing or will they need me to do any editing. How long have they been listening to their reference and if I should stray from it much or strictly polish? Do they want me to do any creative work or are they 100% happy with everything
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Let me know if you have any specific instructions or requests and don't be afraid to ask any questions
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: I can mix and record from anywhere if I have my laptop, an apollo twin, headphones, a mic and my ssd hard drive. Not sure where I'd power any of it on a desert island though.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I went to school for audio engineering 10 years ago but I learned most of what I know out in the real world by interning and working my way up at a major recording studio in Los Angeles.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I wear a t-shirt and jeans everyday. As far as my audio style? I just do what sounds good.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: KISS or Iron Maiden. They are the reason I fell in love with music.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: You don't need more plugins. Plugins are fun, and there are a handful I can't live without but for the most part if you know what you are doing you can get there using stock plugins.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Top 40 Pop, R&B, Rap and Hip-Pop
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Knowing when to not do too much. A common misconception is that you need to heavily process or use multiple plugins on everything. When in reality if something sounds good you can just leave it alone. Trust your ears.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Good taste. Recording and mixing is all about decision making. With my experience I am able to listen to a song as a consumer as well as an engineer and make those decisions that will ultimately create a great final product.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: When receiving files for a mix from a client, I love to listen to their reference or demo for a while to get a feel for what the artist is going for. I then make notes of things I'd like to polish in the mix and moments I want to highlight. I import files onto a session and organize everything to begin working.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I spend most of my time in coveted studios working with the best vintage gear available.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I'm most inspired by individuality and uniqueness. Anyone who is creating something because they love it and believe in it.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I bring their ideas to life. Whether we are walking into a studio to record and capture something from scratch, or I'm sculpting a song during the mixing process, I take care of all the technical aspects so they can focus on creating.