Platinum Mixer & Producer

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

A: In 2019 I had the opportunity to mix RIN's album Nimmerland, mixing all of the singles released leading up to the album release. Up In Smoke was a song I mixed on that project that went #2 on the German charts and became Gold certified, along with 4 other singles, and his single Alien went Platinum. To have my sonic footprint be apart of something that successful felt amazing

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm currently producing for a few independent artists and producing tracks for Voidpet (In 2023 Voted Best App for Personal Growth on Googleplay).

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

A: I've done plenty of work with Lucius Page and RJ Pasin, though I know both are usually booked up.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I believe that both serve an essential role depending on the project. Digital has gotten very close to replicating analog equipment and the advantages of having those tools in a laptop makes for a very seamless, easily replicable workflow. When it comes to recording, analog preamps and compressors are the most optimal tools for getting great recordings.

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

A: I promise to do everything in my power to make your vision a reality and provide honest feedback and reflection when I feel something is hindering the process of realizing that vision.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love the genuine/visceral excitement a client expresses after hearing the work that I've done on their music. I feel fulfilled when I have been successful in achieving a clients vision.

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

A: Many times clients will ask what I think about the song. Depending on the situation and the audience they are aiming for, I'll usually give a couple positive points of feedback and maybe a couple points of critical feedback if I feel something needs to be said. I believe that many artists I've met want precise feedback from a music professional as long as it serves to guide and not discourage.

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

A: The biggest misconception people have is that I can somehow, through mixing, fix a song that wasn't produced or recorded well. There are many things I can do to improve/enhance the song/arrangement but ultimately if a song wasn't produced or recorded well, there's a limit to the amount I can improve it.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: To start, I usually ask questions to get a sense of the size of project/creative direction/amount of work required and then also get a sense of the deadline or when they'd need a project completed by. Then I'll provide a quote and a timeline.

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

A: Speaking as a producer, my main piece of advice to a client would be to make sure they have somewhat of a clear vision for what they are looking for and can describe that vision in a meaningful way. Speaking as a mixing engineer, my first piece of advice would be to make sure you are getting quality recordings, or at the bare minimum, recordings that are not distorted and recorded at a low/medium volume. My second piece of advice would be to make sure the vocal tracks being sent have very little processing done to them aside from tuning and maybe light compression/EQing and that all the tracks are starting from 0.

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

A: I would take an acoustic guitar, a laptop with a charger, an audio interface, a Neumann U87, and a solar power generator to run everything.

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

A: I started my production trajectory at Berklee College of Music while in the Music Production and Engineering major. In 2016, I moved to NYC to work at Quad Studios and started engineering there within the first year. Eventually I worked my way up to Chief Engineer and also became an in-house producer.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I'm a big fan of creating powerful musical moments with contrast in arrangement. Typically that might include going from a section that is very stripped down to a section where there's huge ambience textures/guitars/background/vocals. I spend a lot of time crafting those emotional shifts musically.

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

A: I would love to work with someone such as Justin Vernon or Billie Eilish as I feel like they are true artists unbound by commercial expectations and continue to push boundaries creatively.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: When it comes to most production situations - the song is the key to everything. A good song that can be captivating in an acoustic/stripped down setting, will always provide the most solid foundation to build from and will usually lead to more effective/inspired production decisions.

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

A: I primarily work on Electro-Pop/R&B Soul/Folk music as a producer, however I work across many genres as a mixing and recording engineer.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is the ability to move between the technical and creative requirements of any given project and provide meaningful input across many stages of the production process.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring 15 years of experience as a musician (Guitar, Piano, Violin, Singer) and songwriter, and 8 years as a producer and successful Platinum recording engineer and mixer. With that comes a high standard of quality and also a strong recognition of the potential in every client I have the opportunity to work with.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My first priority with every client I work with is to discuss their vision sonically/musically so that their is a shared vision for the end result. Typically that'll involve a quick e-mail exchange along with asking for 2-3 references and a rough demo/mix (if applicable). My turnaround time for initial mixes is 2-3 days and for production 4-5 days. Upon delivery, I value complete transparent communication when it comes to revisions, assessing musical direction so that the end result meets and exceeds your expectations!

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: In my sonically treated personal studio I run Pro Tools Studio on a Macbook Pro and have a Universal Audio Quad satellite to run a wide selection of UAD Plugins. I use the SSL 2+ and a AKG 414 for tracking vocals and other instruments in my productions. For monitors I have a pair of HS8s and use a pair of AT-m50s for headphones. When I produce out of Quad Studios in Manhattan, I have access to Neumann 87 microphones, API, Neve 1073/1084, SSL X-Logic, Avalon Preamps, and UA1176 Hardware Compressors, a Tubetech CL1B, Teletronix LA-2A.

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

A: I'm inspired by Jack Antonoff for his sensibilities around production/vibe/musical choices/sounds, songwriters such as Max Martin for his sense of melody/song structure along with his intuition on what a hit sounds like. On the mixing side, Manny Marroquin for more organic sounding records and Serban for more hi-fi pop.

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

A: I most commonly produce (create the music, arrangement, sound choice) and mix music, both at Quad Recording Studios in Midtown Manhattan or at my own studio in Downtown Brooklyn.