Passionate and impactful mixes

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

A: Kimera Morrell. Her voice is amazing! She is a very talented toppling writer, singer, and arranger.

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

A: Lots of different stuff. Pop-rock, Metal, Rock, Hip-Hop, Country, Folk, Americana...Our artists span a lot of different genres and styles.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm knee deep in a handful of records, but have started doing a lot more top line writing work and song writing. I've been getting lots of requests to write custom music for you tube channels and twitch streams, which has been pretty cool.

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

A: That engineers can fix everything. If a singer lays down a bad performance, I can make it sound like a really clean and pretty bad performance, but it's still gonna be a bad performance.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: How did you get in to music? What are your goals for this recording?

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I like to be immersive. To lose myself in the mix. Find the nuances that make it special. I take an artist first approach.

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

A: I worked on a project with a company that helps people write music as a form of therapy. A veteran had come home from war and was suffering from PTSD. My client came to me with a mix that needed a lot of pitch correction and sound shaping. The final product blew everyone away, and the vet had a good laugh and a good smile. He was excited about something, and that's progress. It gave me an opportunity to help someone feel better through music. Isn't that what it's all about?

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Can I pick both? Digital makes the editing work so much easier, and makes some pretty amazing things possible. But that natural tape compression from a solid analog rig is hard to beat. Nothing sounds like tube anymore, and it makes me sad.

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

A: I'll always be honest and shoot you strait. My vision is the same as yours: to make your song sound the very best that it can.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The look on the artist's face when they hear their mix. They are like a kid at Christmas!

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

A: I'm going to take the cop out here and ask you to take a look at my website. There is a FAQ section with almost 20 frequently asked questions on my website, acetoneproductions.com

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

A: Remember that I don't have a full tracking facility. I can make a mix sound fantastic, but the final product does depend on the source material. If it's too hot and all clipped out, I can't do much with it. When in doubt, I can make stuff louder, but can't always make it softer.

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

A: My mac pro, a buyer dynamic m420 mic, an LA 610 compressor, a telefunken AR-51 tube condensor mic, and an analog tape machine.

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

A: I've worked in many different customer service and management careers, but have always stayed focused on music. I graduated from the University of New Haven with a degree in Music and Sound Recording and haven't looked back. I've been recording and mixing music in some capacity for the last 10 years.

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

A: There are so many. I would love o be a fly on the wall when Mayday Parade writes a song. They write in such a way that the listener is left feeling something after each song. It would be a wonderful experience to capture that to tape.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: To me, space is more important than volume. Create a notch in your mix for each instrument and vocal to fall in to. Listen with your eyes closed. Use the full stereo spectrum and don't be afraid to pan stuff all over the place. This helps it breathe and stops you from killing your dynamic just to make something "loud enough".

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My ability to relate with the artist. I've been a songwriter for many years and I understand what goes in to crafting that song. It is your baby and you treat it as such. I look at your project the exact same way.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: In a word; passion. I love music and the joy that it brings people. I want it as close to perfect as I can get it. I feel as though I can capture the essence of the song and get to the raw emotion behind it. I then bring it to the fore front for everyone to hear.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I like to dive in with the artist from the beginning. Why do they love this particular song? Why does it resonate with them? What emotion are they trying to capture? This helps me shape the sound. We'll talk about pitch correction and so on. I listen to a sample of their raw tracks to get an idea of the quality so I can quote an accurate price. After a 25% down payment, I get to work. The way I build a mix depends on the feeling I get when I listen to it. I keep the artist updated throughout the process until delivering the final product.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I run a Mac Pro with plenty of different plug ins. I monitor through many different speakers ranging from studio monitors to tower speakers, cell phones to car stereos, and just about everything in between.

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

A: I'm really inspired by the work of Kenneth Mount. He has helped to shape the sound of pop rock and his work is incredible. I find a lot to love in the work of Eric Clapton, there's feeling behind his work that bleeds through and it is awe inspiring.

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

A: Most of my work is from clients who record in basements, garages, bedrooms, etc. and want to get the best sound possible. They are college students, bands just starting out, and hobbyists. I work within their budget and provide a great product. Mixing and Mastering are the majority of my business.