Master of Loudness

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

A: I produced a debut album for a singer and songwriter who wanted to tell his story of immigrating to the USA. The recording session was deeply emotional and loads of fun, and it’s been wonderful to help him share his story.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I’m co-running a Masterclass, starting a label, building out my own artist project, and loving every bit of it!

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

A: I’ve got a handful of suggestions, depending on your genre and what you’re looking for! Feel free to ask and I can happily point you in the right direction :)

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! Each has something to offer- analog gives us character and warmth that simply can’t be captured digitally in full, but our digital processing allows is the precision to take full advantage of the analog character.

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

A: I’ll give you the best master on SoundBetter, guaranteed. Music means the world to me, and I know your music means the world to you. I won’t give up until you have exactly what you need, and I won’t cut corners.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to work with so many inspiring artists and musicians out there. I’ve heard thousands of songs I would have otherwise never been exposed to, and I’ve been lucky enough to take part in some truly emotional projects.

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

A: I get a lot of requests to make synths, bass, and drums sound bigger, fatter, punchier, and fuller - and I’m all for it. That’s what I’m here for, after all :)

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

A: That mastering (and any kind of music work for that matter) is all about technical ability. Sure, that’s a big portion of it, but the tools don’t make the artist. Really, it’s all about listening carefully and being able to determine exactly what the track needs to reach its full emotional potential.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I’m always interested in hearing who your inspirations or references are - if there’s a track or artist out there that you’d love to sound like, I’d be excited to help get you there.

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

A: Honestly, this is a scary process if you haven’t done it before. It’s tough to trust your music to someone else if you haven’t worked with them previously, and don’t hesitate to be open about that. I’m always happy to guide my new clients through each step of the process before anything is formalized, just so you can know exactly what to expect.

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

A: Of course my laptop and trusty headphones- but outside of that, I’d bring my OP1 synth, my Code61 midi keyboard, my guitar, my preamp interface, and my drum machine.

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

A: Right out of college, I was set to pursue a career as a business consultant in healthcare - and let me tell you, that certainly wasn’t my calling. Two years into it, I made the decision to drop everything and pursue music full time. I attended Icon Collective to master my technical and creative ability, and since then I’ve been self-employed full time in music. Now, I co-run my own artist project, a budding label, a production Masterclass, and a course at Icon Collective.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: In two words: future retro. Music of the past has so much to offer- both in the compositional ability and in the textures of older synths, samples, and drum machines. I love bringing those nostalgic textures to a futuristic production and a crystal clean mix, with as much groove and danciness packed in as possible.

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

A: I’d love to work with Illenium. His early music inspired me to get into production, and I love his creative approach to building an idea.

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

A: I mostly work on electronic dance music alongside songwriter/pop styles, though I also do a lot of work with live instrumentation and ambient music. That said, I've worked on pretty much anything, so don't hesitate to reach out if you're curious.

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

A: The Chainsmokers, Daft Punk, Rufus du Sol, Flume, Odesza, Quincy Jones, Jon Bellion, ILLENIUM, BAYNK, and Sofi Tukker - among many more!

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

A: On SoundBetter, I provide professional mastering services. Locally in Los Angeles and Denver, I produce for my own project and a variety of singer/songwriters. I’m always open to working remotely on any kind of project!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: It doesn't matter what tools you have - what matters is how well trained your ears are.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My ears are my strongest asset and skill - I can recognize exactly what's right or wrong with a track, and I know how to use my tools to get the sound I'm after.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I'm highly attentive to each and every track I work on. I never use presets, and I master each track with my professionally trained ears and workflow.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: In mastering, I always start by considering the emotion and intent of the song, taking time to identify the most important moments and elements in the track so I can emphasize their existing magic further. I then move through a "corrective" phase of mastering, treating any muddiness and sound quality issues I might notice. Next, I treat the song with a series of analog gear and plugins to create the best sense of space, glue, shine, and character for the track. Once I have the song's characteristics in the right spot, I move to a final phase of loudness mastering, where I push the track to professional loudness standards (and louder, if you'd like).

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I've built my own acoustically treated studio, and I do a lot of work on my Sennheiser HD650 headphones. Most of my work is done using a mix of professional VST software and analog hardware. I'm an instrumentalist and producer, so I've surrounded myself with keyboards, synthesizers, guitars, and drum pads :) I also have access to the mastering studio at Icon Collective, a professionally treated studio with multiple monitoring options. It's perfect for ensuring that any masters I create sound good across all sound systems, whether you're listening on an iPhone or a set of festival speakers.