Remote Mixing & Mastering

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital, there's no comparison. Maybe 20 years ago I may have thought differently, but with our rapidly evolving and improving technology anything that an analog piece of equipment can do, a digital one can either emulate or surpass it. The fact that I have an equivalent of a massive professional studio sitting on my desk speaks volumes.

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

A: I will always strive to make your music sound as good as you want it. Please do not be afraid to criticize me or ask for something different. I will always work with you to make sure your product is exactly what you want.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I just enjoy finding creative solutions to tough problems. Sometimes it's like a puzzle that needs to be solved to get that sound working just right. I also enjoy the happiness I bring to a customer when I make their art sound that much better.

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

A: "Can you make it go harder?" Yes, I can always make it go harder.

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

A: That I am creating music for myself, and that it is by any means easy. Not to have a holier than thou attitude, but people underestimate the work and skill required to Mix and Master properly.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Please send me a reference track as to the sound you want to achieve.

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

A: Well, music has always been in my life. When I was in 8th grade I picked up the bass to try and be in a band with my friends, and just kind of fell in love with creativity. When I was in high school I used the trial of Fruity Loops and would sit there for hours to produce a song and export it on the spot (You couldn't open save files with the trial version). After I graduated I bought the full version and began getting more serious, creating dubstep, Drum and Bass, and experimental music (The genres I still love most to this day) Eventually I switched over to Ableton and have never looked back. In 2014 I decided it was time to get serious. I went to SAE Miami and tried to enroll in the electronic music production course, but by a slip of fate I ended up signing up for the Audio Engineering one instead. I quickly found that my aptitude was extremely high in working behind the scenes and I discovered that I loved Mixing more than even making music. The ability to take someone's work and bring it to its best potential gave me a sense of completion and pride. I gained the nickname "Jake the Great" as I always got the highest scores and helped mentor all of my fellow students. When I graduated I began doing freelance work for customers, as well as securing an internship at The Urban Union (Formerly the Maybach Music Latino Division). From there I learned from industry great Urbano and have carried his wisdom with me. I fell on hard times afterward, suffering from an illness that rendered me unable to work professionally, but I never stopped honing my craft and have never given up. Now I continue to do freelance work and produce beats for various artists.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Strong bass, clean leads, and pleasantly experimental

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

A: Excision. I've been a huge fan of his for years now and it would be an absolute honor and privilege to be able to work on some of his music

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't get too caught up in what is the "correct" way to do something. The most important thing is that it SOUNDS GOOD

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

A: I usually work on Electronic and Hip-Hop/R&B/Rap

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Leads. I tend to be able to bring them out and make them have that extra oomph. I pride myself on my reverbs and precise envelopes as well.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: As far as Mixing goes I bring a clean and vibrant sound, full of color and devoid of any messy and dirty sounds. With beat production, I wear my varied influences on my sleeve and bring an original and unique sound to give you that edge to stand out. I also use very experimental techniques to try and push the bleeding edge of what is possible.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I begin by organizing the different tracks by name and type (Bass, Leads, Drums, etc.) and then color them so I can identify them at a glance. I then work from the bottom up, making sure the Bass makes a strong foundation first, then working on the leads to remove all the gunk and dirt (Unless dirt is what you want.) I strive to make them stand out and as clear as possible. I then will work on Vocals, if there are any, and bring power and character to them. As far as beats are concerned, I request a reference track from the client and build a basis off of that. Whether it be smooth pianos or hard-hitting bass lines, I pick a focus and build the song around that.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have over 150 Professional plugins from Waves and UAD, including Wavestune, Autotune, SSL Bus Compressor, F6, C6, Two Yamaha HS8 Monitors, UAD Apollo Twin as well as a UAD-2 Sattelite to give you the choice between that warm analog sound, or the clean digital sound. I use and am proficient with Ableton Live 9, Logic X, and ProTools 12.

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

A: Tony Maserati, Max Martin, are industry professionals I definitely respect. I had the honor of learning from legends Frank Rodriguez, Devon Ellis Grant, and Bill Gordon.

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

A: Mixing, Mastering, and Custom Beat Production