Remote Mix Engineer

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

A: My current career path is business marketing and music production. I’ve been in higher education for two years studying these topics. Although I take what I learn and apply it to mixing, I learn a lot more on my own.

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

A: I usually work on rap, R&B, and singing. I specialize in these genres, but I am always open to experiment with other genres as from time to time I will work on composing instrumentals.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: To a song, I may not bring that million dollar studio sound and clarity, but I work with what I have. Whether the song has been recorded on a voice memo or a $500 mic, I work what that I have to bring the best sound possible.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My setup consists of a pair of KRK G4s, a rode NT1, Solid State Logic SSL 2+, and ElectroVoice mixer board that has a compressor, EQ, and a leveler routed through it. I enjoy using analog processors because it bring a rich authentic sound that digital plugins aren’t able to emulate. Depending on the artist and the way the song is going, I will choose which effects to use or not use and adjust accordingly. I also prefer to use Pro Tools for my mixing for all of my clients with Izotope, SSL, and Waves plug-ins.

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

A: Typically I host recording sessions in my home studio. I have the most experience with rappers and R&B singers. I also provide mixing services for the artists that I record with as well as offer mixing and mastering remotely. I’m always open to experimentation on unfamiliar records, but not at the clients expense. I’m all for customer satisfaction and I treat everyone’s songs with the same care as I apply to my own.

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

A: The biggest misconception about what I do is not putting in full effort or using presets. I treat every record as if it’s my own. I usually clock in at the very least four hours into a single song, but I average around 8-12 hours total. This time doesn’t include breaks from ear fatigue and snack breaks. I take my time because I take this seriously and if I have my name on it, it’s going to be my best effort.

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

A: I don’t know anybody personally, but a lot of the bigger artists on the first few pages are always going to be your best bet. They may be expensive, but you’re paying to work with billboard charting, multiplatinum/gold artists, you’re going to get a good service.

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

A: My promise to customers is to always put my full time and effort into any record handed to me. If there is ever a time during the mix I get stumped or feel as if certain elements are out of my control, the client and I can work out a discounted deal of some sort. Then after if requested, I would help the client find someone who can fill the role. I would never follow through with a project that is out of my abilities or I am not confident in, that would be a waste of time for myself and the client.

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

A: “How long do you think a mix will take?” This time usually varies, based on the quality of the audio, number of stems, and what’s requested from the client.

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

A: There’s an artists in my town that goes by “iizaeya” and we recently released his EP, “ The Path,” where I was the the recording and mix and master engineer. It’s on all platforms and some of my favorite music I’ve worked on, go check it out!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: At the moment i’m working on my business “Running Out Of Time Records.” As my recording services are becoming more popular locally, I’d like to give what I’m providing a name. To find out more about us, visit our site: runningoutoftimerecords.com

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I love a mix of both, analog brings the rich “studio” sound and digital ties it together.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love this job because it never goes the way you expect it. You may have an idea of a song and there’s two things that could happen: it would sound worse and you know that it’s not a hit, or it sounds completely different and better than what you started with which brings a new appreciation for it.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I like to make sure we’re a right fit for each other and we both have the same goal to make the best music we can!

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

A: Ask questions and get an understanding of what the engineer provides and how they do it. This way you’re on the same page throughout the process. Most importantly, be patient! In the same sense you should be concerned if a doctor finishes heart surgery in one hour, your final record shouldn’t be expected in less than an hour or two. Now in noway am I comparing audio engineering to heart surgery lol, but it should be acknowledged that audio engineering is an intricate process that takes a bit of time that could take a few days if done correctly.

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

A: Definitely my KRKs, my mac, my Novation Launchkey, my SSL+, and my mic. That’s all I need!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is very distinct in my opinion. In the past, artists I work with have noted that I bring them a good mix between professional and underground. Sometimes too clean is awkward to some artists and their voices; I sometimes like to leave minor imperfections to bring the life into a record and make it sound more natural.

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

A: If there was an artist I would love to work with it, it would be either Timbaland or Oak Felder. These artists bring a unique perspective to making music in the sense that they create is if they have limited resources. Seeing the thought process and workflow as a learning experience from either of these artists would be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: One music production tip that I will always tell people is to always check your mix everywhere. From your studio monitors, to your car, to the cheapest pair of headphones you can buy, and from your phone or computer speakers. This is important to get a good sound balance between all of these sources because you never know who will listen to your music, and most importantly, where. It’s best to prepare for all of them!

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill would have to be my commitment to the records I work on. I don’t let a song giving me trouble defeat me. Whenever I’m stuck at a crossroads and I’m not sure what to do next, I’ll step away and come back to the record in a few hours to see if anymore ideas arise; this method always helps me come up with new ideas and a different perspective on what I’m working on.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My typical work process begins with starting with a clean slate. Every time. I may use a template that will have all of my tracks listed and routed to busses for confidence when I record, but I don’t like to use preset effects for every song that I work on. Presets in my opinion limits creativity and level off where the song could be, which is why i prefer to add every plug-in and twist every knob manually to reach the sound the artist and I truly want.

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

A: A lot of musicians that inspire me include Kanye West, Timbaland, Tyler the Creator, Pi’erre Bourne, Boi 1 Da, Mike Dean, and Oak Felder. These musicians inspire me because of their attention to detail and commitment to their work. When these musicians and engineers begin working on music, their entire effort and passion is applied to it, and you can hear it. As these are my favorites, their skills are not something I wish to inherit; it’s their commitment, hard work, and humbleness I wish to achieve.