Mixing/Mastering Engineer

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

A: The most common question I get from clients tends to be about their production. It tends to be that people aren't completely confident in their arrangements or sound choices. When it's appropriate I'll offer my two cents in a respectful manner. In a mixing role it's not my place to change the record, only enhance it. Although the enhancement may be drastic, I don't feel like it's my place to change someones arrangement.

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

A: I got a chance to assist Denis Kosiak on a Khalid record called "Skyline" that was such a humbling experience and the amount of knowledge I gained from watching the producers and engineers fully construct and finalize that song was game changing for me.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Right now I'm constantly staying creative. Mixing a variety of different projects and producing records as well!

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

A: I haven't worked with anyone else on Sound-better on a professional level. I would love to work with my fellow creatives though hopefully sooner than later!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Most of my mixing is in the box, but I technically have a hybrid mixing setup. I do everything in the box the majority of the time, and every-once in a while I will run a vocal through an outboard compressor whether it be an 1176 or a CL1B. I always run a piece of tube gear on my mix bus though to add a robust color and sense of depth that I feel like is unachievable only in the box. Usually the D.W. Fearn VT-7.

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

A: My promise to my clients is to take their creative vision to a place that they haven't even considered. My object is to elevate peoples records to the absolute highest point achievable.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I feel like the best part of my job is being the conduit for artists and creatives. Helping people fully realize there creative vision is why I do this!

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

A: I think the biggest misconception about what I do is that it is a purely technical process, when in actuality it is a completely creative space from which I mix from.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Are you completely happy with where your song is at musically and production wise? If you're not entirely satisfied with your production it will still feel empty after a polished mix.

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

A: Be confident in your sonic decisions and intention. I can add a lot of color and flavor to a mix but if you're not entirely satisfied with your production that's something that cant be fixed in the mixing process.

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

A: Mac Pro, D.W. Fearn VT-7, TubeTech CL1B, Alan Smart C-2 Bus Compressor, and the Neutron bundle from Izotope.

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

A: I've been doing this for 10 years now. Everyday feels like the first!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Delicate and clean when I need to be or heavy handed and colorful. It all depends on what the project demands from me as a mixer. I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty!

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

A: Sade. She has such a remarkable tone and her aesthetic musically has always really spoke to me. All of her arrangements are so timeless and the grooves are deeply infectious.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: For making a vocal feel sticky in a mix, instead of over compressing, I'll use subtle tape distortion to add some nice harmonic saturation while maintaining transients in the vocal performance. This way I can get that gluey warm vocal timbre without affecting the performance of the artist dynamically.

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

A: I have an incredibly eclectic palate which enables me to play to the sensitivities of each genre with a respect and understanding. I work on an equal amount of R&B, Pop electronic, indie and hip hop. Genre is irrelevant for me!

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: First and fore most I'm a student and a fan of music. So I'd say my open mindedness in the creative process to listen to peoples ideas and integrate mine respectfully makes me a strong collaborator.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a fresh and nuanced perspective to a project. Meaning I'm not attached to how anything is sounding in a rough bounce. I'm not married to any sound and I can hear a songs sonic and musical potential.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Upon receiving multi tracks from a client I'll make sure everything is sounding identical to the rough bounce. Once I'm sure the stems match up with the reference bounce and I have everything organized meticulously, I'll slowly go about attacking the mix.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: For monitoring I utilize a pair of PMC MB3-XBD-A's. The PMCS provide an immaculate listening experience. The amount of detail they produce is incomparable to any other speaker I've used. I'd make the analogy that it feels like I'm standing directly in front of a massive billboard so all the frequencies across the spectrum appear massive. Whenever something is out of place I can attack it immediately and address any issues I think may be occurring sonically. Outboard compressors: Universal Audio 1176 LN, D.W. Fearn VT- 7, Lydrkaft Tubtech CL-1B, Outboard Equalizer: D.W. Fearn VT-5, BAE 1073

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

A: Some other creatives I'm looking up to at the moment are David Wrench. David Wrench is such a unique musical individual, I feel like he brings a rich tasteful blend of cool left of center ideas to records that are just weird enough to be fresh and interesting without being esoteric or polarizing.

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

A: The majority of my work consists of either recording artists in the studio and seeing the project to completion. Or being sent records after the artists feel the production is completed and just needs to be taken to that final sonic level. Most of the heavy handed work I provide being in the mixing process where I can inflict most of my creative and sonic damage.