Electronic music composition

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: If the client is able to physically be with me, working together to figure out what we like together is great. Exploring sounds, finding the right tempo. I've also worked in a remote environment where everything is shared via dropbox, an iterative process begins with testing and feedback. All until the client is satisfied.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Yamaha hs80's and a Yamaha Hs10w Sub, Hydrasynth desktop module, Push 2, Maschine mk3, Komplete s61 mk1.

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

A: Music composition, mixing and mastering are the first things I am usually doing, I've edited podcasts, done sound design for film, scored for film.

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

A: I recorded and edited the audio for a coffee forum recorded here in NYC in 2019 called the North East Roasters Forum. My friend ran the forum and I helped convince her to record it and release it on youtube for other coffee professionals to learn from. It was one of the most educational coffee experiences for me, and also a chance to show off my chops in terms of audio editing and using tools to clean up noisy environments and fix audio issues. I really enjoyed it.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Releasing several EP's of my own music in various genres over the next few months. I want these to be available to anyone for film, commercial, game scores.

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

A: I don't know anyone on SoundBetter currently.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! We're lucky that digital is always advancing and getting better. I'm mostly digital at home because it saves space and makes automation much much easier. Analog is great too.

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

A: To provide a service that satisfies in the end. I don't want a client to feel like a service wasn't fully completed and completed well!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love the multiple ways that audio can be worked with. There are so many tools at our disposal. It's great to learn new tools and see what amazing engineers are producing.

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

A: Q: What can you do? A: I can fix noisy dialogue, I can make your music sound heavier, thicker. I have been collecting audio tools for over a decade to do this.

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

A: Having a trained ear does not mean you have super hearing.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What do you need to accomplish? Is there a certain feeling or concept that needs to be applied in editing or creating sounds/music and scoring for you?

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

A: A reference track is great if it's music production related. An idea or context for sound design if it's scoring related.

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

A: 1. My laptop 2. Hydrasynth 3. Push 2 Controller 4. Headphones 5. Solar panels

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

A: I went to school for audio engineering over a decade ago, I interned at a post production studio in NYC and then a recording studio in Chicago after that. I eventually stopped and worked professionally in coffee as a roaster for various companies back in NYC. I recently left that to come back to audio full time.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I enjoy zeroing in on specific tasks that involve learning something new. Usually with writing music it's thinking of something I'd like to accomplish in audio and then figuring out how to get there. OR, finding a great use for software I already have to accomplish something that would not usually be possible, like removing vocals from a track.

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

A: Bjork, she's a phenomenal musician who never stops being herself in the expression of her music. Too many people want someone to be ONE THING, nobody is just one thing in expression.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Reverb fx can be a bit lower than you think in your mix, when you want to crank a song, it might be overwhelming to the general mix.

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

A: Electronic music/Hip hop.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Communication with the artist/client/producer. If I can't understand them and what they want well, I can't provide a good service.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Listening objectively to make sure everything is represented well, clarity, punch, dynamics. Happy to help on the creative side as well if someone isn't sure what to do.

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

A: Joel Zimmerman aka Deadmau5, Noisia, Bjork, Aphex Twin, Jeremy Soule (Skyrim Composer)