Audio engineer (hip-hop/trap)

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

A: My Neumann U87, Neve 1073 preamp, Universal Audio Apollo Twin X, MacBook with Ableton Live, and my Yamaha HS monitors. That’s a full recording and mixing rig — I could cut and deliver a release-ready record from anywhere.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: The Chandelier Room ATX — a fully treated studio with a dedicated vocal booth and control room in Austin, TX. Signal chain for recording is a Neumann U87 into a Neve 1073 preamp into a Tube-Tech CL1B compressor, running through a Universal Audio Apollo Twin X interface. Monitoring on Yamaha HS series speakers with AKG K7 II headphones for reference. DAWs: Ableton Live Suite, Pro Tools, and FL Studio. Plugin chain includes FabFilter Pro-Q 3, Pro-MB, Waves SSL 4000 E, API 2500, Valhalla, Decapitator, and more. It’s a space designed to capture clean recordings and deliver polished mixes — everything an artist needs under one roof.

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

A: One that stands out is a track I mixed and mastered for an independent artist where the raw vocals came in rough — recorded in a less-than-ideal space with some noise issues. I spent extra time on cleanup, surgical EQ, and creative processing to get the vocals sitting right in a dark, 808-heavy beat. The artist said it was the first time one of their songs sounded like it could compete with what they were hearing on Spotify. That's the kind of result I work toward on every project — making independent music sound major.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Producing and releasing my own music as an artist under the name theofficialram, running recording sessions out of The Chandelier Room ATX for local artists, and building my remote mixing and mastering client base through SoundBetter and Fiverr. Always moving on multiple fronts.

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

A: I'm still building my network on the platform, so no recommendations just yet — but I'm always open to connecting with other engineers and producers.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital workflow with analog-style processing. I work in the box with plugins that model the warmth and character of classic analog gear — SSL console EQ, API bus compression, tape saturation.

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

A: You'll get a release-ready mix that translates everywhere, delivered in 24–48 hours, with unlimited revisions until it sounds exactly how you want it. No shortcuts, no generic processing. Every mix gets full attention.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: That moment when an artist hears the mix back for the first time and you can tell it clicked. Every artist brings something new to figure out.

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

A: "Do you master?" — Yes. I don't consider a project done until it is fully finished and you're happy with it. That's not a marketing line, that's how I work. I'd rather spend extra time fine tuning than have you release something you're not proud of.

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

A: Mixing and mastering can fix a bad recording. It can improve a lot, but the best mixes in my experience have had good vocal headroom.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: "What's the vibe you're going for?" "Do you have any reference tracks?" "Are you sending stems or a 2-track?" And, "is there anything specific about the vocals or the low end you want me to focus on?"

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

A: Listen to their work — not just one track, but a few. See if their mixes translate across different speakers. And communicate your vision upfront. The best mixes come from a clear conversation before anyone touches a fader. Send a reference track. Tell me what you love about it.

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

A: I started engineering in San Antonio in 2014 before going to Spitshine Studios in Austin around 2017, running 5–10 sessions a day mixing and mastering for independent artists. I've been in music for a total of 18 years.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Hard-hitting but warm. I want the 808 to rattle your chest and the vocals to feel close and present but I also want the mix to have depth, space, and character.

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

A: Travis Scott. His music lives in this space between dark, atmospheric sound design and hard-hitting trap that I find really exciting to work in. The layering, the vocal textures, the way his production feels like a world you step into especially live with Mike Dean and engineering that kind of record would be a dream session.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Get your levels right before you reach for any plugin. If your rough balance sounds good with just faders and panning, the mix is already 60% done. Most people reach for EQ and compression way too early trying to fix problems that are really just level and arrangement issues.

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

A: Hip-hop, trap, and R&B — that's my core. Within that, I work on everything from hard-hitting Atlanta-style trap to melodic rap to smooth, textured R&B. I'm comfortable with dark, atmospheric production just as much as bouncy, upbeat tracks.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Low-end management. Getting 808s and kick drums to hit with weight and presence without eating the rest of the mix is something I've put a lot of time into.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Clarity without sterility. I make sure the low end hits hard, the vocals cut through, and the overall mix has warmth and energy.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I start by listening to the rough mix and any references the client sends — I want to understand the vibe before I touch anything. Then I organize and gain-stage the session, build the mix from the low end up, shape the vocals to sit right in the beat, and handle all the detail work like automation, spatial placement, and dynamics. Once the mix is locked, I master for streaming. I send it back within 24–48 hours and offer unlimited revisions until the client is 100% satisfied.

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

A: Metro Boomin for how he builds atmosphere and makes dark production feel cinematic. Noah "40" Shebib for the way he creates mood and space — his mixes breathe in a way most trap and R&B engineers don't attempt. Quincy Jones for pure musicality and arrangement. Pharrell for never staying in one lane. And Dr. Dre for setting the standard on what a mix should feel like — every element intentional, nothing wasted

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

A: Most of my work is mixing and mastering for independent hip-hop, trap, and R&B artists. That usually means taking or recording raw vocal stems and either a 2-track beat or full stems, then building a polished, release-ready mix with a master formatted for streaming. A lot of my clients are artists who produce their own music or work with 3rd party producer and need someone to bring everything together so it sounds cohesive and competitive.