Composer, Sound Artist

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Samuel Owens. Jose Parody.

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I produced one minute of EDM style music for a local business's youtube advertisement. I was proud to work with such a personable group of friends who were providing an innovative service to the community. We were professional but flexible. We respected each other deeply and that shines through in the quality of the final product.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Hip Hop productions for an up-and-coming Portuguese speaking rapper.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: If you're referring to analog and digital recording - it's fairly obvious that today's digital recordings are advantageous. This is why engineers don't mix down to tape and vinyl anymore (although making tape and vinyl copies of a digital recording is a growing trend), When most people today ask this question, they are referring to analog and digital out-board gear like speakers, FX and synthesizers. I prefer these to be analog for the warmth and realistic tone. But analog is expensive - so you have to weigh that in too. Overall, in a world where all signals eventually get converted into digital files and mixed in a computer - digital rules.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: After committing to a project, I will provide what you ask for when you ask for it - no detail goes unnoticed.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Listening to the final product.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: Are you a DJ? No. Are you a producer? Yes. Do you make beats? Yes. Did you go to school for music? Yes. What do you want to do? Break in to the TV/film industry and work with composers and audio professionals.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: The conception that producers use "loops" would be a misconception. I have never used a loop I did not create or personalize. That being said, it is a general misconception that producers make all their own sounds. In fact, many have no choice but to rely completely on prerecorded content in order to compete with other providers.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Do you need any other drafts or progress updates? Do you need vocals in the piece?

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Rather than describing the style you'd like, provide examples.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: Mac and interface/headphones. M-Audio Key Studio MIDI controller. My Zoom H4N recorder. Sustain Pedal. That's all I need!

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I graduated about 3 years ago. I spent one year working for a small DAW software company now called SoundBridge where I provided quality assurance, technical support, digital audio production, music production and sound design blogs, and marketing content.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is calm and respectful. Focussed yet flexible. I love work and play - but not at the same time.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: I'd like to work with Dave Porter, the composer for the TV series Breaking Bad. I admire his work and cannot think of a better model for the general aesthetic of my own content. This collaboration would open a window to the nuances of his style and, from a different angle, to an interesting convergence of ideas I would have never seen otherwise. He also appears to be a friendly, smart man.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Bass is very important - especially in modern sounding music. The clarity and balance of low end content makes or breaks a production.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Electronic. Modern Classical. IDM. Dubstep. Hip Hop. Ambient. Groove-Oriented.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Harmony (Music Theory).

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring the "other-worldly" element to a song.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I typically try to get as much work done as possible in the first day. In my experience, breaking up the idea-to-reality process over too much time leads to problems. It is best for me to get it all "out of my system", then refine it where it needs to me refined. This does not mean I don't care for the sound (instrument) choice in the beginning. I try to make sure the sound (instrument) I make is the one I am going to use in the final version. Once the piece is finished I will ask for reviews. Then edit and polish/mix/master.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a music production suite. not a recording studio. Recording services I offer are typically for sample creation. I rely heavily on software synthesizers and samplers for my productions. That being said, I use some digital hardware including a Korg R3. My Ableton Push allows me to work fastidiously when creating MIDI parts.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: I admire the people involved with 90s electronic, synth/sample-heavy music production including Aphex Twin, Moby, Dido, Squarepusher, U2, Radiohead. I also admire modern film composers who utilize custom sound design and synthesizers such as Trent Reznor, Dave Porter, Joseph Bishara, Christopher Young, Daniel Licht, and Will Bates.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: I typically produce custom music for media in the electronic/soundscape style.