Dedicated Mixing Engineer that cares about the quality of your recorded music so it translates to the listener the way you intend. Works Remote or with local artists in the New England area.
Michael Cataldo Jr. is a Recording, Mixing, and Mastering Engineer from central Massachusetts. Mike's goal is to add value in the quality of your recorded music, to translate to the listener how you intend. Michael has been steadily recording and mixing since 2005. Has worked in many genres including Hip Hop, all types of Rock, R&B, and more.
Michael studied at the New England Instiute of Art. He took part in a 12 week mixing intensive with Berklee Professor Richard Mendelson. That gave him the opportunity to sit in on a session with Michael Brauer at Quad Studios to study his eclectic approach to mixing. During that time Mike also sat in with Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, to workshop and learn his techniques.
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Credits
Interview with Michael Cataldo Jr.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Right now I am currently mixing a hip hop album, wrapping up tracking a long term hip hop project/beginning to mix, and wrapping up tracking a psychedelic folk rock album which we will be mixing soon.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Mixing specifically, both. I mix in the box, use an array of plugins, and enjoy using hardware inserts. Some plugins do things you cannot achieve in the analog world, some analog equipment does certain things plugins cannot do well.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Getting exciting positive messages from clients after they hear a mix.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: Are there productions, songs, or mixes that stand out that you wish to emulate aesthetically?
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I played piano, guitar, and bass as a kid. I grew up going to local indie shows and touring bands whenever possible. Started recording music in 2005 shortly before studying at the Art Institutes. I Sold Pro Audio equipment professionally for several years and started building a personal studio during that time. In 2012 I started mixing professionally. In 2018 I formed Notown Productions with Chris Floyd.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Keep your sessions neat and organized.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I mix a fair amount of Rock and Folk music. Lately i've been mixing a lot more Hip Hop.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My experience
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I spend some time listening to the rough mix and references. I try to feel the vibe the artist is creating and take notes on how I can improve the track and bring the track to a place that resembles where they hear it in their head. The artist's vision is roadmap to success. Once the multi-tracks have been received, I spend some time setting up the sessions to my liking including importing my template, color coding tracks, and organizing all audio so it's compiled efficiently for mixing. If needed i'll spend this time checking the phasing on drums, the alignment on vocals, and making sure there is no further editing needed. I like to start a mixing session without any organizational distractions.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I record and mix in Pro Tools. I use a variety of plug-ins and outboard gear when mixing. I have a selection of outboard reverbs, delays, and guitar pedals that I route through a 1984 Tascam M520 mixing console when i'm not reaching for plugins. I monitor though KRK V6, Yamaha NS10m, and Beyerdynamic DT770
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Most commonly, mixing.
- Mixing EngineerAverage price - $300 per song
- Mastering EngineerAverage price - $70 per song
