Recording and Mixing Engineer

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

A: Talib Kweli's "Radio Silence" album. I was the tracking engineer on that project. We recorded Talib's and the featured artists' vocals all around the globe. On tour in Europe and all around the US, I had to be on call and setup in a matter of minutes to capture that artist and moment. It was quite a challenge and I think I was able to make them sound great, regardless of the tour bus, hotel room, closet etc. I also got to assist Young Guru a little in mixing the album. I am very proud of the finished product and of all the lessons I learned while making this album.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Both Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch's newest solo projects.

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

A: No, I'm new to this. Sorry!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. It's a speed and efficiency thing. Analog is amazing but the plugins nowadays sound great. I often need to turn mixes and revisions around in a matter of hours or minutes and digital/in the box sessions allow me to do that.

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

A: I will help you bring your vision to life, even if it takes a little extra work or revisions.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The ability to please the customer by any means necessary. Since I'm my own boss, I am able to provide as much help and resources as I see fit to make sure you are happy.

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

A: Q: Can you give a discount on your rate? A: Most likely, yes. Let's put together a plan to get your project done with your budget.

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

A: That I'm just a "hip-hop" engineer. I work with a lot of rappers and producers but I also work comfortably in many other genres.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Where and when are you most comfortable, confident and relaxed?

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

A: Be very particular. Some people are just not a good or "right" fit.

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

A: Neve 1084, LA2A, 1176 Blue Stripe, Shure SM7, Roland Jazz Chorus

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

A: I played in bands in high school and always tinkered with music production until i decided to do it "for real". I finally went to school and subsequently an internship when i was 27. I'm 8 years in the business now after learning and climbing the ranks in several Brooklyn and Manhattan studios. I'm always learning though..

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Old school, analog and somewhat aggressive.

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

A: DJ Muggs. His sound influenced my taste in music and is what made me fall in love with East Coast(even though he's based in LA) hip-hop. I moved to NY to chase those sounds and influences.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Commit. Do a "save as" if you have to, but commit plugins and tracks so that you can be more creative and not have to worry about your computer resources.

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

A: Hip-Hop, RnB and Gospel.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: The ability to hear where a song should go sonically.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Excitement and Experimentation.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It's different every time. But I try my best to make the artist comfortable so we can get the best sound and performance possible.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I run a hybrid setup at home or my studio. It's a fully loaded Macbook Pro Retina running Pro Tools 12. I either use an Apollo Twin Duo and UA Quad Satellite OR 2 UA Apollo 8's for conversion and plugins. Other than the UAD's plugins, I use Waves, Soundtoys and BX for most of my work in the box. I also have an API lunchbox that's loaded with analog pre's, eq's and compressors and all kinds of odds and ends.

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

A: At the risk of being cliche, Dr. Dre has always been a huge influence. Quincy Jones, DJ Muggs, Led Zeppelin, The Neptunes.

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

A: Recording and Mixing. Within that type of work i also tune and comp vocals, edit and arrange compositions.