Producer/Guitarist/Songwriter

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

A: As a producer, I usually and mostly work on music that has live instruments on it. Styles may vary from Reggae to Cumbia to Brazilian to Indie Songwriter to Pop. As a studio guitarist, I've covered a lot fo different styles. I believe I'm a good actor in that I can sound like I've been playing a particular style and part after just learning it. More of a jack-of-all-trades than a master at just one thing.

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

A: Any of the guys mentioned above. I'd love to play guitar for/with Sting and Paul McCartney but then again, who wouldn't :-)

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

A: Recording guitars (acoustic and electric), producing songs, EP's and albums. Selecting the songs to be recorded, doing pre-production demos and moving along through the process until the finished masters. I occasionally direct and edit music videos as well.

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

A: There are a few... my album, called Essas Coisas Todas. I co-produced, arranged, wrote, played guitars and most of the basses, sang... it was my education. The album En Primera Fila with Roberto Carlos recorded at Abbey Road for the obvious reasons. A Radio Version of a song call All In The Way by Earth Wind and Fire. Having Maurice White's full trust when tracking guitars. Recording guitars for the song This Is Me by Flora Purim. That song led me to work with Airto Moreira and also k.d. lang.

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

A: I don't make promises. I honor my word. It's all I have.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: It doesn't feel like a job. Other than that, seeing the client happy and proud with the finished after going through our process together.

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

A: That it's party all the time and we're all just having fun. It IS fun but it's lot of work as well.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What's your budget? What's your deadline? How can I help you get to the next step in your process as an artist.

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

A: I'm flexible with rates and can accommodates most budgets if I like the project. I tend to be very direct and straight forward in my communication because everybody's time and resources are very valuable.

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

A: My acoustic guitar, a recorder of some sort, a laptop loaded with samples and a solar powered generator.

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

A: I've start playing guitar professionally in '98. I produced occasionally for friends but it wasn't until doing my album in 2008 that I started taking it more seriously and getting called for more producing gigs.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I'm told I'm calm, introverted, serious. I can be funny after you know me for a while. I'm not a good liar. I'll always look for a positive thing to say.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: I see acoustic guitar as a percussion instrument. The top strings are like the hi-hat, low string like the kick drum. Using that concept, I lock my part to the drummer.

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

A: Gustavo Santaolalla, Daniel Lanois, Johann Johansson, Don Was, Ryiuchi Sakamoto

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Finishing up an EP of songs for an artist in Brazil by the name of Dani Cavalcanti. 2 songs are only missing background vocals. 1 song is missing electric guitar and backing vocals and the 4th song is missing a featured artist's vocal , electric guitar and bgvs. Also finishing an EP for LA based Estani Frizel where we recorded 4 songs that were released 20 years ago. This time, we went the more organic and acoustic route. So it'll be acoustic cumbia with percussion, accordion, acoustic guitar and bass. Working on my partner's next releases. We have 1 song waiting for the final mix tweaks, one song off to be mixed and a third ready to be sent whenever we get time with our mixer engineer. 1 song ready for the horn arrangement and a couple more at early stages of production.

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

A: Not yet. Just got into the platform. Hoping to do it as soon as I start browsing around.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: They both offer pros and cons. If the conditions allow, I love to record through a real board with amazing converters. To me the important thing is to convey the emotion and the message. The means or mediums are just instruments to get that accomplished.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Getting to the core of the song and once there, bringing out its essence. Looking for the truth, the realness in the artist's voice and songwriting and bringing that out without the distractions that can easily mask and cloud it. I'm a great editor of musical and performance content and have a great ear for that x-factor, that magic that happens on "The" take.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring it out is more accurate. I let the song tell me what it needs. I bring my ears and deep listening and inevitably, it'll dictate where it wants to be or what it wants to be.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I start by asking for a demo of the song in its simplest form if possible. Acoustic Guitar or Piano and Vocals. If the song stands on its own legs in that format, I believe you can dress it a number of different ways. I'll ask the artist what he or she wants the music to sound like, what are his or her references. From there, I'd check tempo and form. If I feel changes are needed, I'll suggest them. Once we agree on an arrangement, we'd do a pre production demo with scratch guitar and vocal and starting thinking about instrumentation. This will depend on a number of factors, including budget, whether it's an album, Ep or just a single, style, references given me by the artist. If the budget allows and the music calls for it, we'll go into a studio and do basic tracks with bass and drums. If that's not available, I'll go with the artist to the musicians home studios and starting recording one element at a time. It can also all be done remotely with Skype while the musicians track. After the basic tracks are done, I'll edit them, comp them if needed and continue adding elements. Once we have the arrangement done, then we record Lead Vocals. Usually 5 or 6 passes, then I'll comp the best out of the best and once approved, we finish with background vocals. Then I'll send it off to the mixing engineer for mixing or, again, if the budget allow go to his studio or a studio to mix the song.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a Mac Pro running Pro Tools via an M-Box 3 and an Apogee Mini Me as my external clock and my main microphone inputs. My MacBook Pro runs Pro Tools as well as Logic with my Kontakt libraries and samples. I use mostly Waves Plug-ins at the recording stage of things. I have a Neumann TLM 49, a pair of AKG 451's, a Rode NT1 and and SM 57. Will be getting a 2 channel Neve Preamp in the coming weeks as part of my upgrade. As for guitar recording, I have with me here my Divided by 13 Head, my '77 Fender Princeton and also my '54 Fender Super Amp. I usually run them through my Universal Audio OX unit but have been using the 57 to mic the amp when the parts are clean. I have an arsenal of 25+ guitars but at home at the moment, I have a heavily modified Japanese '50's Reissue Fender Strat, a Suhr Classic Antique HSS Strat for more shimmery clean sounds, a '53 Heavy Relic Telecaster, a VOS '63 Gibson 335 with a Bigsby, a Gretsch Baritone with Seymour Duncans on it and a Yamaha Pacifica. Plenty more in storage that I can get to if needed. I have 3 Yamaha Custom Shop made Acoustic Guitars (2 steel and 1 nylon), a cavaquinho, 2 charangos and a Vintage Gibson Lap Steel. 2 Custom built pedalboards by L.A. Sound Design that have some industry standard top of the line effects pedals and also 2 crates with pedals I can add to the chain. I also have a First act Delia Bass and a Fender Mustang Bass.