Remote Mix Engineer

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

A: The first album I ever made never saw a real recording studio - it was 100% recorded and mixed in my home studio. I utilized every part of my house for the recording process, built a DIY vocal booth in my living room, and used other creative recording techniques to get a varied and interesting sound. It turned out so well and I learned so much, but it was very difficult and laborious at times. Now I typically work both in studios and at people's/my own house.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Among other things, I am working on the debut solo album for the artist Avery Tucker, who was one half of the band Girlpool until quite recently. Production has been split between Montana and Los Angeles, and things are going very well so far.

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

A: Not that I am aware of, though I am sure there are lots of capable engineers on the platform.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! You can't make a recording without a bit of both these days (unless you are recording to tape). Wherever possible, I try to utilize good analog gear, especially when recording. But the convenience, precision, and cost of digital processing is invaluable.

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

A: I'll see your project through and ensure that you are happy with the sounds we create.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love hearing the artist say they love the way a recording turned out. It can be laborious and stressful making a record, but it's all worth it in the end when things sound awesome and everyone is happy!

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

A: When I am working in a studio with a console, the first question people often ask is "Do you know what all those knobs do?", and my answer is pretty much always "Yes!".

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

A: That engineering is inherently technical and the only "real" expression comes from instruments and singers. I believe the impact an engineer can have on the sonics of a record is extremely significant, and I view the work we do as a type of artistic expression as valid as any other.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I like to start by asking about their vision for their project. What do they want to walk away from our session with? What are their expectations for the kind of role I would be taking on? How much creative input do they want from me?

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

A: Hire someone based on their taste and their personality. Lots of people can learn the technical side of music production, but finding an engineer that understands you, hears things in a similar way, and communicates with you openly and honestly is rare.

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

A: My laptop, my tube microphone, my headphones, a good interface, and an SM57. I could make a whole album with just that if I had to!

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

A: This is the only career path I have seriously pursued. I have been a musician and a drummer for most of my life, and I started learning about music production and audio engineering about six years ago. I was hired to produce my first full album about four years ago, and less than I year later I started working in pro studios. Now I travel between Los Angeles and Montana to work on a wide range of projects as a jack-of-all-trades audio engineer.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Most of my productions end up being punchy, dramatic, and intricate. I like to layer sounds, using special processing to create ambience and depth. But I also like to leave plenty of space when needed. The goal is always to make things cohesive and interesting, expressing the artist's message and presenting the music as one complete work.

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

A: Any artist with a vision, goals, and the drive to see things through!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't be afraid to take risks, experiment, and break the rules! Greatness rarely comes from doing things the way you always have. Follow your ears and your heart and don't get discouraged when things don't work out how you thought they would. Take it as an opportunity!

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

A: I have the most experience with indie, folk, and jazz, though I have also worked on a lot of hip hop, pop, and hard rock. Live instrumentation, acoustic recordings, and raw vocal takes are my specialty.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: The ability to get in an artists head, see their vision, and execute it. I am empathetic, considerate, and intuitive, which allows me to communicate naturally and effectively with people. My goal is to act as a mouthpiece for the artist's message and vision.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I pride myself in my ability to glue things together, create depth & dimension in a song, and present things in a way that suits the music. My ears are well trained and I know how to process things to get to the sound I have in my head. Also, I think I have good taste, which is important as a mixing engineer!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: For mixing, I like to start by cleaning up the session, removing or committing any plugins left from the production process, and organizing instrument groups in a clear and efficient manner. Then I will set all the faders down to -∞ (all the way down), turning up each track one at a time, trusting my ears to get a rough balance of all the tracks. Then I may do an initial round of processing, fixing any phase issues I may find, rolling off unnecessary low end, and otherwise cleaning things up. After that, I generally step away for as long as time permits - a few hours if things need to be done quickly, or maybe a few days if there's not a rush. Once my ears have reset, I go back in and start applying processing more freely, shaping tones, compressing things, basically building the sound of the song. This process can vary in its complexity depending on the quality of the recordings, the number of tracks, and the contents of the music. Finally, I automate levels where needed, possibly apply special FX like delay throws or reverb tails, and start referencing the mixes on as many speakers as I can. And once the client and I are both happy with the sound, balance, and translatability of the song, I'll tidy things up and either set it aside for mastering or send it off to be mastered by someone else!

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My home studio is pretty simple - I run Pro Tools on my M1 MacBook Pro, and I have an extensive collection of plugins that I use for mixing and production sound design. I use Focal Alpha active monitors and Beyerdynamic headphones for mixing, in addition to referencing on numerous different speakers and audio systems I have at my disposal. I also have a collection of pro microphones, FX pedals, and a few pieces of outboard gear that I use for both recording and mixing.

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

A: There's a huge range of musicians, engineers, and producers that inspire me. I am excited by production that is unique, expressive, and mysterious. When I hear something that perks my ears, I like to deconstruct the production and try to identify all the sounds in a song. I love finding productions that have elements that are difficult to identify - thick layers of instrumentation, unusual guitar tones, or unique drum sounds, for example, are all things I am drawn to.

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

A: I generally work with singer-songwriters and producers as the lead engineer for their projects. This includes leading recording sessions, undertaking all editing and mixing throughout the production process, and typically includes performing the final mixes as well.