Pancho Ruiz on SoundBetter

Your music, perfected: precision mixing and production for a truly immersive sonic experience. +18,000,000 total streams on Spotify and counting.

I am dedicated to elevating your sound to new heights. As a seasoned freelance audio engineer with a passion for perfection, I bring a wealth of experience and an unwavering commitment to transforming your music into a masterpiece.

Mixing is not just a technical process; it's an art form. I infuse creativity into every project, tailoring the mix to amplify the unique character of your music. Equipped with state-of-the-art tools and software, I stay at the forefront of industry advancements to deliver mixes that are modern, polished, and radio-ready.

Seamlessly blending the warmth of analog emulations and the precision of modern plugins, I tailor my approach to each project, ensuring your music receives the perfect sonic touch it deserves.

My mission is not just to meet but to exceed your expectations. I'm not satisfied until you are thrilled with the sonic masterpiece we've created together.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Credits

1 Reviews

Endorse Pancho Ruiz

by Miguel Gonzalez
I recently hired Pancho to mix a song, and he definitely highlighted the best in in. Definitely recommended.

Interview with Pancho Ruiz

Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I wish I could tell you, but it is usually confidential :/
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: I haven't found any acquaintances here, unfortunately.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: You will like it. Trust me.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: ¿What kind of music do you like? ¿What are your expectations of this production soundwise? ¿Do you want it to sound in any particular way?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Know what you want. Have a clear vision of your song(s). Communicate everything with me beforehand.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started at engineering by going with my father to recording studios as a teenager (he is a Latin Grammy award winning producer). Then I started pluging cables and moving microphones, then I started assisting some mixes. Then I became a full time recording engineer for dubbing, as it let me continue with my band in my spare time. After that, I started mixing for dubbing, and I've been doing that for 5 years now, first in Mexico City and now in Montreal, while at the same time continuing to work in music.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would love to work with Paul McCartney. ¿Do I really need to tell you why?
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: The mexican spanish version of Roald Dahl's Matilda (it's on Netflix). I recorded a children choir for 2 weeks, and then I had to do the post production for a lot of vocal tracks on a 2 hour film, and then mix the dialogue and songs. I think the result was amazing.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Q: Can you have it sooner? A: Usually yes, but not always.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That mixers are problem solvers that can fix whatever you send them and should be able to make anything work, when usually the best mixes are the ones that use perfect source material.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Don't fix it in the mix, it won't get really fixed.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I work on many genres and usually you don't get to choose, but what I like the most is working on Rock and alternative.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I am really good at finding the good things in a song and bringing it up.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I work almost exclusively in Pro Tools, and I have one of the most comprehensive plugin collections I have ever seen anywhere.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital. Because I can make unlimited recalls and fixes. Clients couldn't get unlimited revisions without being completely digital.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: You get to work on music. It's the most rewarding job in the world.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: 1. Mac computer with Pro Tools. 2. 88 key Keyboard controller. 3. Shure SM57 4. Fender Stratocaster 5. AKG K72 headphones
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Natural and wide.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I try to do the least processing necesary for the piece of music I am working on. I usually don't over-compress, nor abuse reverb, nor anything. I'll stay as true to the intent of the artist.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Download the session/files. Ordering it and renaming it. Load a template with basic generic Reverb/Master processing. MIXING (it varies what I do depending on the project). Let it rest for a day or 2. Listen and making corrections. Printing. Preparing Deliverables. Wait for feedback. Make corrections and redeliver. Rinse and repeat.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: My biggest musical influences are The Beatles and Radiohead, and my favorite mixers are Serban Ghenea and Andy Wallace, I always try to think like them when mixing.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I have mixed literally hundreds of hours of content. The thing I do the most is mixing dubbing for shows and films for TV and cinema. Netflix and Disney+ are full of shows for which I have worked on, like The Simpsons, Family Guy and Trolls:Trollstopia.