Mastering, Mixing, Production

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: In addition to working with clients, I am hoping to put out an album of my own later this year.

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

A: I started playing guitar at age seven, and a few years later got a little audio interface to plug my guitar into GarageBand. Ever since then I knew I wanted to produce music, and so I've stuck with it until now.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Kali IN-8 monitors and Beyerdynamic headphones into a Universal Audio Apollo. Lots of mics and guitars, keyboards and plugins.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I currently work with a fairly "in the box" setup, almost entirely digital. I think the majority of music listeners wouldn't be able to spot much of the difference between analog and digital recordings with how good emulations have gotten, so I don't think it's a "necessity". Although, getting to enjoy a bit of that extra color and flavor is nice, and there's something really enjoyable about messing with tactile knobs instead of pointing and clicking on a screen.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Vibey, clean, soulful music.

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

A: I recently released an EP which I'm really proud of, since the music was all made by myself. I did essentially every role in the process.

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

A: That I just make beats.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A good ear, passion for music, honesty and creativity.

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

A: Repeat answer, but: Tom Misch, Jordan Rakei, FKJ, Andrew Huang, to name a few.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I would say using my ear is my strongest skill - I think I have an ability to spot things that sound off, sticking out, or unbalanced, and getting them dealt with so that the result sounds more palatable and enjoyable.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I usually start by trying to get as organized as possible. Getting tracks in their proper order and into groups. I'm a huge fan of templates, so I like to spend some time "getting my head" around a project before beginning to mix, or whatever the song calls for.

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

A: Tom Misch, Jordan Rakei, FKJ, Andrew Huang, to name a few.

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

A: Mostly mixing and mastering things that they've already began working on - occasionally it's doing the entire process with an artist, from fleshing out songwriting, arrangement, composition, then recording, mixing and mastering the track. Those projects I often have a hand in producing instrumentation and doing sound design, whether that's with synths or samples. I occasionally work as a session guitarist in productions.

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

A: Nicholas James in LA - I've worked with him a number of times. He's a fantastic producer and composer, and has taught me a lot.

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

A: I will communicate clearly, kindly and promptly. I will be sensitive to your requests, yet direct about what I can and cannot do. I will put in my best work as if it was my own music.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I'm never bored... I work on something different every day. Working on styles of music I wouldn't necessarily make myself gives me a fun challenge and allows me to grow as a producer and expand my abilities.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are your reference tracks?

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

A: Give a TON of detail about exactly what you're looking for. Include references. The more detail you give, the better the result.

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

A: MacBook Pro, a pair of good monitors, audio interface, midi keyboard and a Strat.

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

A: I like to make soulful music of any kind - sounds that invoke emotion and "vibe". I love hard hitting drums, heavy bass and dark, vibey melodies - whether instrumental or with vocals. These days it usually falls into the categories of RnB, Soul and Lo-fi Hip Hop. I also have a sweet-spot for metal, since that's my background.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: It's not enough for something to sound good on its own - it has to sound good in context with every other sound in your mix. Enjoyable listening experiences are so dependent on dynamic. Consider how one sound is impacting the rest.