Mixing and Mastering

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

A: For Me by Dehkewlz. This was a very personal album for him and I was able to be a part of the entire process. Not only was this album extremely sentimental, but it was also sonically beautiful. I was the main recording, mixing, and mastering engineer for the entire project.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Each piece of analog gear is unique and is oftentimes more powerful than its digital counterpart. However, plug-ins provide more flexibility and utility, but can sometimes be very CPU draining.

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

A: I promise to use every tool at my disposal to provide a mix that exceeds not only my client's expectations but also my own.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The satisfaction of seeing the project go from a raw idea to a unique masterpiece. The joy that my clients exude when hearing the final mix is unexplainable.

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

A: Most artists assume that mixing is just slapping plug-ins on tracks until it sounds good. This couldn't be further from the truth. There is an insurmountable amount of science, technical knowledge, creativity, and hard work that goes into each and every process.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is your budget? What is your long-term goal for this project? What is your vision for this project? How open are you to criticism and suggestions?

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

A: Please be open and honest with me. I respond very positively to all feedback and my main goal is to get your track sounding exactly the way you imagined it or better.

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

A: My Macbook Pro, AKG C214, Focusrite Saffire Pro 40, JBL LSR305s, and AKG K712 Pros.

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

A: I began teaching myself how to record and mix in 2011 at the age of 15. After 3 years of trial and error learning, I decided to pursue a degree in recording arts. While in school, I completed various projects and also did freelance engineering out of my home studio. In just 20 months, I received my Bachelor's degree and began working at Maximum Entertainment Group in Orlando, FL. As a professional audio engineer, I did quite a lot of work for several artists in the studio and also live. After moving to VA, I found an internship at Soundvision Studios in Virginia Beach where I quickly moved up to Jr. Engineer and soon after to Sr. Engineer. I still currently work there but I am working toward exclusively working for myself as a freelancer. As of now, I have been engineering for a total of 10 years and I don't plan on stopping any time soon.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Unique and personalized.

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

A: Chris Brown or The Weeknd. Not only are they almost guaranteed to make a hit, but they are also two of the most creative and fun artists in the game today.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Never be afraid to think outside the box. Guidelines are okay but don't be afraid to deviate from them if the result sounds good.

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

A: R&B and Hip-Hop.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Individualism. I have a unique sound and also quickly realize and adapt to an artists' sound to enhance their special vibe.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring unique creativity that my clients have fallen in love with. Not only am I extremely punctual and technical, but I also have the ear to create a vibe that can't be found elsewhere.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I first assess the needs of the client and depending on that I first attack any tedious work such as session organization, vocal comping, editing, vocal tuning, and clip trimming. Next, I gain stage and begin blending levels in mono to assure that everything fits into the mix. I then focus on panning everything to its proper place. Once everything is sitting nicely I start going through my sub-mixes with subtractive EQ, keeping in mind where I'd like each instrument and vocal to sit in the mix. I then move on to compression and additive EQ while maintaining the relative mix volumes. Once everything is nice and blended, I add color and texture to the mix with various effects such as harmonics, distortion, time-based effects, and parallel processing. With the mix now having the finished balance and vibe I move on to my mix bus processing.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I'm currently using JBL LSR305's and a pair of AKG K712 Pros for my monitoring setup. My vocal chain includes an AKG C214 and Focusrite Saffire Pro 40. I have a SCom 4 that I use from time to time if I require outboard compression. I have a plethora of plugins, including but not limited to Waves Diamond Bundle. iZotope Music Production Suite 4, SSL Plugins, and more.

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

A: Alex Tumay, Devvon Terrell, RichieDaGenius, Mixed By Ali, and more.

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

A: Mostly R&B and Hip-Hop due to the area I live in. However, I have experience with many other genres.