Gabriel Arias on SoundBetter

Gabriel is a team player. Each musical endeavor requires a genuine approach at each stage, from composition to mastering. He makes it a point to truly understand the artist’s or producer’s expectations and requirements. Based on his experience as a mixing and mastering engineer, he maximizes the sound and emotional quality of the musical result.

He is a mixing and mastering engineer, having graduated from the National University of Lanús, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He currently lives in Bogotá, Colombia, where he runs Huella Fónica--his recording, mixing, and mastering studio. He has worked on many musical projects in different genres and styles, as part of the team in the musical creation process. Throughout these projects, he has contributed his expertise as recording engineer, mixing engineer, and/or mastering engineer, and has met with professional results.

He has worked with artists in Western Europe, North & South America. Some genres he has worked with include Jazz, Rock, Pop, Funk, Soul, Jazz Fusion, Pop Latino, Bolero, Ranchera, Vallenato (branch of Colombian folklore), and Worship, among others.

Teamwork is one of Gabriel's most notable qualities, and he will always be receptive to the musical concept and opinions of the producer and/or artist to satisfy the needs of the project.

Understanding musical creation as a team effort, Gabriel will always leave room for specific revisions by the artist and/or producer. This applies both before & after the mixing and mastering, for last-minute changes, until reaching shared satisfaction.

You can check the interview tab for more about me & my work.

To start our conversation (in English or Spanish) click on the green "Contact Gabriel Arias" button above.

Send me a note through the contact button above.

Credits

10 Reviews

Endorse Gabriel Arias

by Mauricio Iribarren
Gabriel Arias es un profesional totalmente recomendable. Realizó mezcla y mastering de unas de mis canciones y quedé totalmente conforme con el Sonido que logró. Además de su talento lo destaca su amabilidad y compromiso con sus trabajos. Realmente un gran profesional.
by Daniel Correa
Tengo el privilegio de trabajar con Gabriel desde hace años en varios de mis proyectos musicales, siempre tiene una mirada fresca y participativa en cada uno de ellos. Recomiendo el trabajo y la dedicación que le imprime a cada una de las canciones con las que trabaja, ya que la mezcla y mastering es un proceso fundamental de la producción musical y en Gabriel he encontrado excelentes resultados con un trabajo serio y altamente profesional.
by Manu López
He tenido oportunidad de trabajar con Gabriel en diferentes proyectos en grabación y mezcla. Es una persona muy versátil con gran calidad humana y profesional, capaz de ajustarse a los requerimientos de cada proyecto.
Recomiendo su trabajo al 100%!
by Raquel Lidia
I have had the opportunity to work with Gabriel during the last years for my album and it has been a great experience. He is a very good sound engineer and, especially a great person, always ready to give you the opportunity to sound fantastic, with a great sense of balance for each sound and musical note.
by Christian Canteros
Realmente conocí a Gabriel por medio de un amigo y la verdad encontré en el una persona que se ajustó a la que estaba necesitando en ese momento. EL buen trato y la experiencia para aconsejarme en la mezcla fue clave para sentirme satisfecho con el trabajo
Altamente recomendado no solo por su trabajo excelente sino por su interés por el artista.
by Raquel Baena
I have had the opportunity to work with Gabriel during a few years and It has been a great experience. He is very professional, always ready to help you and give you the opportunity to sound fantastic. He has a great sense of balance for each sound and musical note.
by Sebas G.
Trabaje con Gabriel en varios proyectos en Buenos Aires y a distancia cuando ya estaba erradicado en Colombia, y doy fe de que realiza un excelente trabajo. Es una persona muy profesional y exigente en el producto final, pero con un trato cálido y muy llevadero, siempre dispuesto a buscar lo mejor y sacar el mejor resultado de cada proyecto.
Estoy agradecido por todo lo que el aportó a cada una de las grabaciones y por la excelente experiencia he repetido el trabajar junto a el. Recomiendo su trabajo!!
by Maxi C.
Tuve la oportunidad de trabajar en varias ocasiones con Gabriel en la ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Sinceramente, nos encontramos con una persona muy prolija y profesional en su trabajo, no solo como técnico sino también como ingeniero de mezcla.
Como técnico en la grabación, pudimos lograr un excelente audio, muy limpio y con las características que necesitábamos; y en la mezcla, nos encontramos con alguien muy versátil en el estilo de música que hicimos y ágil para trabajar, aun también a la distancia.
Recomiendo su trabajo 100%.
by Raquel Baena
It has been an incredible experience working with Gabriel. He's a great sound engineer, always ready to help you, giving you the best opportunity to sound fantastic. He has an excellent sense of balance for each sound and musical note.
by Pedro Arias
Tengo la oportunidad de trabajar a diario con Gabriel Arias, que a demás de ser mi hermano hemos podido hacer un vinculo laboral profesional, en la producción musical. Su desempeño como ingeniero de mezcla es impecable, esforzado y profesional; aportando una muy alta calidad al trabajo que hacemos musicalmente.
Es un privilegio contar con personas tan dedicadas y emprendedoras en este largo y hermoso camino de la producción musical.
Totalmente agradecido!

Interview with Gabriel Arias

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Not that I know of.
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: This EP I’m working on with my brother. It’s especially meaningful to be able to support an artist who I’ve watched grow all through his life/career! Also, I've had the opportunity to take part in everything from recording to mixing, and that’s a gift.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Since we’re in quarantine these days, our church has started moving to digital services. That’s where I have donated a lot of time in recent weeks, editing and mixing the recordings for streaming services. Meanwhile, I’m finishing the recording process, to later mix, for the 4th song on an instrumental EP in the Jazz Fusion genre. I also have a project going with voice-overs for corporate instructional videos, recording and editing the vocals. There’s also another singer-songwriter track that I’m picking up, having the pre-mixing conversations for. Never a dull moment!
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Analog for recording, digital for mixing. Why? Because the best takes are made on analog equipment, and the most creative and efficient mixes are made in the box.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I’m sure that--through dialogue and as many iterations as needed--we can get to the final result that you’re looking for. So sure that, if for some reason that’s not how it happens, I’ll thank you for the learning experience and give you your money back.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Co-creating. Being inside the artist's song, listening closely to all its beautiful, whizzing parts. Taking someone’s masterful creativity a step further.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Q: Have you worked with X genre before? A: Yes, check out this mix I did... / No, but I’ll do a mix for you and you can decide whether it works or not. Q: Do you have samples of your work? A: Yep, the playlist is on my YouTube. Not everything is there, but it should give you an idea. Q: Can we discuss the price? A: Sure.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: Myth: “They can fix that in the mix.” I will always do my best, and there's a lot I CAN fix in the mix, but the quality of my work directly depends on the quality of recording. It’s a question of physics.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What genre is it? What are your expectations for your song? Where did you record, and how? How many tracks does it have? Do you have a rough mix? What is/are your reference sound(s)? When does it need to be finished? Do you need the stems for live shows as well? Is the final product for streaming platforms or for a CD?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: With your own critical listening, and perhaps another experienced musician’s too, check out the provider’s audio samples.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Assuming that my water bottle, my wife, and our 4 dogs are already there? I’d take my audio interface, my set of studio monitors, my Console 1, my closed-back headphones, and my iLok dongle with my precious Slate Digital plugins. The essentials.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I fell in love with audio going to church as a kid, seeing the power of good sound to convey a message. Whether that’s through music or speech. I grew up in a family of musicians, surrounded by music, and in an environment of musical creation and performance. Starting in 2011, I had the opportunity to refine my ear and musical concepts through my studies at UNLa (the National University of Lanús), meanwhile working freelance in the studio and as a sound technician assistant and live sound mixing engineer in entertainment and corporate settings. Since 2017, I’ve been running my own mixing and mastering studio, Huella Fonica.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: No matter the genre, I aim to stay true to--and enhance--the best particular qualities of each song. Music that’s genuine has the strongest emotional impact on audiences.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: It’s a tie! Santiago Benavides and John Mayer. I like the message Santiago conveys, and how he wraps his life into his songs and lyrics. And John Mayer. Because he is John Mayer.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: As far as artists, for inspiration I look to people like: John Mayer, Lee Ritenour, Natalie Merchant, Santiago Benavides, Mark Lettieri, Snarky Puppy, Diana Krall, Michael Kiwanuka, Benjamin Clementine, Macaco, Koffee, Alejandro Sanz, Rag’n’Bone Man. In terms of engineers, people like Dave Pensado, Manny Maroquin, Jaycen Joshua, Al Schmitt, and Rafa Sardina inspire me.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Mixing in context (i.e. with all tracks reproducing) is always the key. Use the solo function only when necessary. You’ll know when it’s necessary. But always mix in context.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: In most of the projects I’ve been involved with so far, it’s been with artists who are building their repertoire. This has meant that they are extremely creative, open to new possibilities, receptive to suggestions, but also clear-headed in terms of the final sound.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Listening. Both to the client, and to each detail in the song.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: It’s my privilege and responsibility to draw out the full sound quality and emotional quality of the artist’s song. Not that they lacked anything, but rather to finish emphasizing the best and most essential elements and movements that make that song a unique masterpiece.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: 1. Make coffee. 2. Listen to the rough mix. 3. Import, organize, and name the tracks in folders, routing them to buses in Studio One. 4. Check the gain structure of the tracks. 5. Make a rough mix using volume and panning, guided by the one the client provided. 6. Respond with creativity to the richness of the song itself. 7. Real time mixdown and send to the client. Note: In step 6, I tend to take breaks every hour or two, to rest my eardrums and hear the mix fresh every time I come back to it.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: As an audio interface, I use PreSonus Studio 192, in combo with PreSonus Studio One Professional 4. I use the interface's studio command center to make A/B comparisons between my Focal Fender Studio Passport monitors and my Behringer Truth B2031A monitors. Also, for checking my mixes, I use two different sets of headphones: my Sennheiser HD 6XXs (open-back), and my Audio-Technica ATH-A900Xs (closed back). One of my most essential tools for mixing is the Softube Console 1. It streamlines my workflow and lets me emulate different consoles like SSL S4000-E Series, SSL XL 9000 K-series, and the Summit Audio Grand Channel channel strip. I love to use my All Access Pass plugins from Slate Digital. Those are a must.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I often get asked to help on projects once they've reached the mixing and mastering stage. We get in touch, have the initial conversation, they look over my playlist (on YouTube--Huella Fonica). Then we have a pre-mixing conversation to talk about hopes and dreams for the mix, as well as references to aim for. Next, I start mixing, and when that's set (however many revisions it takes) I can begin mastering. Once we get to the desired result, I offer the final mastered mix formatted for streaming platforms and CD, as needed. Then, we celebrate!