Mixing, Production, & More 🔥

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

A: The first song I ever mixed. It was one of my songs, and I had originally had it mixed twice by two different mixers. But something just wasn't right. So I decided to take a stab at it myself. It took me about a month, but I did it, my first real mix ever...and it was played on the local radio back in my hometown. I was shocked and so proud!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm about to start a recording session for a female pop singer, she should be here any minute.

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

A: Sven, a singer, is the absolute man!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! They both offer so much, and in such different ways. Why pick one when you don't have to?

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

A: You will always feel comfortable working and interacting with me. I will do everything I possibly can to make you happy. I am providing you a service, and that is reflective in my work and my attitude. I work for you!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love making my own schedule, working with people from all over the world, and being exposed to all different types of songs and sounds. And having an excuse to buy more plug-ins and toys for the studio.

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

A: "I need it back in 2 days, can you do that??" "Yeah, I guess I don't need to sleep!"

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

A: I think that the average person or music listener actually has no idea what a mixing engineer does. I think they'd be shocked to hear the different mixes of the same song that two engineers could put out. We are one of the many unsung heroes of the music business imo!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I will typically ask things like how many tracks is your song made up of, what are your goals from the mixing process, are there any songs that you would like your song to sound like, etc. What do you love about the song in it's current form, and conversely, is there anything that you can't get to sound right? I just want to know as much as I can. Every now and then a client doesn't have a clear idea of what the song should sound like, and they just want the mix engineer to take it and run with it. I can do that too.

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

A: Just take your time, talk to as many of us as you can, and pick someone you feel comfortable with. Odds are that, if they are on this site, their skills as a mixer are really good. But you want to make sure that they care about your art and are willing to be a good communicator and source of experience for you. That's how you get the most bang for your buck!

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

A: 1. Mac 2. Interface 3. Midi Keyboard 4. Monitors 5. Headphones That's all you need to make great music!

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

A: My career has always consisted of creating. I have experience in filmmaking and graphic & web design in addition to music and sound engineering. I have been in music/audio life for 12 years now. It's my passion!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Modern, high-energy, bright.

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

A: Ellie Goulding. I don't know why, I just really like her voice, lol.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Do YOU like it? Then it's good.

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

A: Mostly pop, hip-hop, trap. But I can do it all, the foundation of mixing is the same no matter what genre. I listen to all kinds of music, and I'm a student of the game so I understand what a rock song, a country song, a reggae song, etc should sound like.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: It's going to sound corny, but it's the truth: It's my people skills. I started mixing my own music years ago because I grew frustrated with mixers who were so stuck in their ways, pretentious, and just kinda jerks. Once I started selling my mixing services, I knew I could stand out by being personable, easy to work with, and by opening my ears to what my clients were saying to me. I really just want you to be happy :)

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: My clients tend to most often praise my ability to bring "clarity" to their songs. For whatever reason, my ears are very sensitive to the muddy low-mids, so one of the first things I do is clear all that out because it drives me crazy! Also, as an artist, I think that I preserve the "musicality" of the songs very well. I work really hard to preserve dynamics and not beat the crap out the song with the mix. Unless the client wants a squashed, bass-heavy, hamburger of a mix, which can be a vibe. I can do that too!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I like to get as much feedback from the artist as possible. I'm trying to execute their vision, so I'm not rigid; I consider myself almost like a chameleon when I mix. I learned from mixers with very different styles, which I use to my advantage. So with this open mind, I will listen to the rough mix or the raw stems a few times, to really get a sense of the song as it is. And then, usually pretty quickly, I can hear what needs to be fixed, what could be improved, enhanced, etc. I usually work in 1 hour chunks, then rest the ears a bit. I work right next to the river in Hoboken, so sometimes on my breaks I will take a walk along the water and look out at the NYC skyline. Gives me a lot of inspiration and perspective. I love it!

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work out of an acoustically treated studio space in Hoboken, NJ. It's a really "true" sounding room that I've gotten to know very well, and so my mixes translate very well to other playback systems. I'm a plug-in nerd, and so I've accumulated a huge library of plug-ins over the years. Waves are my fave. And I'm a gear nerd too, so I have all kinds of speakers, mics, headphones, interfaces, etc. At least one of everything...my wife loves it! Lol. My Mac is as fast as I could make the damn thing, which helps me mix sessions with high track counts no problem.

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

A: I could make a list of a hundred or so names, and it seems to grow every day. I'm always listening to and studying mixers, producers, singers, etc. Sonically, I think Finneas is the best producer doing it right now. Manny Marroquin is my personal favorite mix engineer. And I think will.i.am is totally underrated because he's a beast of a producer and does a lot of his own mixing too, and both at really high levels. That's rare!

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

A: These days it's mostly mixing, with some production sprinkled in here and there. I'm in the mixing groove and just cranking them out!