Mixing/Vocal Production

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I am professional, discreet, and versatile. My sound is often described as very clean and polished, but I always prioritize the artist's vision and the needs of the song, and can adapt to those accordingly. Files can be password protected on delivery to ensure file safety.

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

A: During my test session when I applied for Atlantic, we recorded a really cool demo. As the writers/producers were leaving, the hard drive crashed (their computers at the time were ancient), and we lost the pro tools session and half of the audio files. I thought, "what kind of crazy nightmare is this? My big chance at Atlantic Records, and the computer completely snaps!" I offered to do my best to stitch together what we could savage of the audio files, which the head engineer hesitantly agreed to release to me. I stayed up late that night, and delivered the song back to the label at 4am in the morning. They loved it, and saving the record essentially saved me that job. I didn't think much of it, until 3 years later, when that record was released as "Lifestyle" recorded by Jason Derulo and Adam Levine, with the original guitar and Wurlitzer parts from that session! It always amazes me how things come together in this industry.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. Recallable, consistent, and there are so many amazing tools to choose from. It's the ear, not the gear.

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

A: I will work to achieve YOUR vision.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The variety. I enjoy seeing all different types of creativity, and especially when a record really hits!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Whose sound do you like? What do you want to sound like?

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

A: Clarify for yourself what you want to hear. Everyone has different goals and expectations. I am always happy to figure that out alongside you, but it is good for you to clarify for yourself as well.

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

A: Laptop, Sennheiser HD600, Audient Interface, and two U87's.

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

A: I grew up in Seattle, making songs on Garageband before the age of 10, and building that passion into producing and engineering for local artists. I then went to college for engineering and production, followed by a few years as head engineer for iconic television composer Ron Jones. I then moved down to LA, where I began working for Atlantic Records at their A Studios facilities, where I leveled up my knowledge and abilities, and built a network of friends and connections throughout LA. I still work at Atlantic, but am now branching out into freelance work.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: If it feels right, it IS right.

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

A: RnB, Pop, Hip-hop

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I make sure that I have similar reference songs and the artist's demo readily available in my session, which helps me maintain universal objectivity while also maintaining the spirit of the original recording. I find that demo's often have some magic in them, and it's so important to me to maintain that magic in the mix. Besides that, I find that an understanding of psychoacoustics is critical to maximizing how objective and productive I am, and ensures that I am doing what the song NEEDS, rather than just doing a lot.

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

A: Serban Ghenea. One of the first to embrace a digital workflow and absolutely KILLS it. I always believe it's the ear not the gear, and taste trumps everything. I think Serban Ghenea is a prime example of this in action.

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

A: Mixing, vocal tracking and tuning. I also have experience recording a wide variety of live instruments, and am often asked to record those as well.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring my taste, which has been shaped by my own preferences as well as my years at Atlantic, as well as technical knowledge about audio, music, software, and psychoacoustics. I also pride myself as being an attentive listener and clear communicator, which helps my interpret and clarify a client's vision to the fullest.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Like Serban, I embrace a digital workflow. This means all of my work happens on my laptop, and the quality of my sound comes from my taste and my ear. Plugins are amazing today, and there is no excuse for not getting an amazing sound out of your digital tools. The advantage for the client is quick turnaround, quick revisions, and quick stems.

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

A: Danny Garcia! A good friend and standout engineer.

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

A: There is no one specifically I aspire to work with. I'm thankful to have worked with the great talents that I have, and am always enthusiastic about new talents that I meet.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Musicality and quickness, understanding the artists vision