Mixing Engineer

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

A: I am very familiar with the work of audio engineer Jordan Criddle. He works out of his home studio in Kansas City, and I would definitely recommend him to my clients!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital all the way! These days, plugin emulations sound so close to the real thing! Digital is also much more convenient!

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

A: My promise is to work on the mix until it is right!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love that this job gives me the flexibility to think creatively. This is the only job that I have ever had that truly challenged me mentally!

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

A: Most commonly, customers ask me how quickly I can turn around a mix. I always answer that it will me 72 hours (maximum) to return a mix to a client!

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

A: The biggest misconception is that an audio engineer can make anything sound magical. An engineer needs good recordings to create a good mix!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I always ask prospective clients what their vision is for the song/album that I am mixing. As the engineer, it is my duty to take the artist where they want to go with their record.

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

A: I would advise customers to provide as much detail when explaining the vision for their song/album. We are engineers, not mind-readers!

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

A: I would bring my laptop, my Audient iD14, my Sennheiser HD 600's, my studio monitors, and my Shure SM57!

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

A: When I was a senior in high school, I created a senior project based on audio engineering. One of the live sound engineers served as my mentor, and he taught me how to use the mixing console. I took everything that I learned from him, and applied it to the digital realm!

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I pride myself on bringing a sense of urgency to every mix that I receive. This level of focus is required to receive good results!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When I upload a session into Pro Tools, I always start with gain staging! From there, I will pull up the faders and begin working on a rough balance.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I would definitely say my mixing style is a product of the 90's. I love for the snare drum to crack!

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

A: I would love to work with KB! The energy that he brings in his music is next level. I really resonate with how passionate he is about his craft.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: One music production tip would be to always maintain headroom. There is no cleaning up a distorted mix!

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

A: Most of the music that I work on is Christian Hip Hop!

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I believe that my strongest skill is communication. When working with clients, it is important to understand the vision that they had for their music!

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work through a completely digital setup! My audio interface is connected by USB to my laptop. I use the Audient iD14 to power my headphones and monitors. All of my mixing is done through Pro Tools.

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

A: Reach Records is a talented collective that inspires me with their music!

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

A: The most common type of work that I do for my clients is importing their sessions into Pro Tools (on my laptop), and creating an industry-standard mix that we are both pleased with.