Jorge (George) Esteban on SoundBetter

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Credits

7 Reviews

Endorse Jorge (George) Esteban

by Stephen S.
Verified
Jorge has been such a pleasure to work with. We could not have imagined the care, creativity and commitment he brought to mixing...he listened deeply to the music, and worked tirelessly (and remarkably fast) with us to get it to a level of production that, frankly, stunned us. Super professional, and has an amazing ear. Thanks so much Jorge, we hope to keep working with you!
by Carlos Cruz Barros
I have worked with Jorge twice and always have been a pleasure. He is such a nice guy and very respectful of what you want and how you want to sound like. Jorge has produced and mixed two Kafod´s albums for us, and I have always received great comments about the sound of them. Jorge has been a great mentor for me in terms of production, I learned a lot working with him.
by Luz Croxatto
Patient, professional and a good friend. I had the best experience and I learned a lot recording those tapes with George in the 90's.
by Steven Brown
I worked with Jorge in México City and in the Egrem studios in Havana with my band Nine Rain. On these and other ocasiones Jorge was not only extremely profesional and efficient he was also compassionate and has remained a friend to this day.
by Chris Spedding
I've worked many times with Jorge. He is the guy you want in the studio to realize your work and make it sound the very best. His rare combination of musical sensibility and technical know-how make him the ideal sound engineer/producer. Chris Spedding
by Rodrigo Quiroz Encina
I`ve worked as a musician with Jorge since 2010. I´ve had the chance to learn a lot about both music and life. Thanks dear!
by Franklin Kiermyer
Jorge = Excellence in production and engineering!

Interview with Jorge (George) Esteban

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: - Brian Eno. Because of how he adds musical value to the records he produces without changing the artist ´s essence. - Giorgio Gomelsky. Working with him make want to be a producer. - Glyn Johns Personal favourite engineer - Johnny Lee Hooker. The heart of Chicago Electric Blues. - Miles Davis. Thanks for all that great music. - The Ramones. For the two albums we did together. - David Bowie. Only Him was able to be so great in so many different styles. - Velvet Underground. For bringing the underground concept to life. - Zeppelin. That's what a rock & Roll band should sound like. - The Stones. They have given Rock & Roll longevity.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Sometimes finding the essence of a song is like looking for needle in a haystack...I can do that.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Find first what is it that makes the song move.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I kind of fall in love with the project that I'm working on.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Patience.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Rehearse, Rehearse and Rehearse until everything sounds great. Go into the Studio and record live as much as possible. Do all necessary overdubs and finally Edit and Mix in the box. This is what I will usually do with a band. But in some cases the album is the result of experimentation in the studio.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: New Artist
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: It would be to play back the first take of the day in any given recording session
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: The usual I guess; Studio assistant at Intergalactic Studios in New York City, Big Break (in my case engineering sessions for Ron Wood and guitar legend Link Wray), Freelance Engineer (Various artists, different studios around the world) and then worked my way into becoming a producer. My industry accomplishments; a number one billboard dance chart mix by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam and a hand full of gold records. But my biggest accomplishment must be to have helped bands find their sound. I have produced many first albums for artists who later have achieved long lasting careers. Ad all together and its been 35 years.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Generally speaking, artists that I like and artists that people are talking about, I rather listen to. I like to work with artists that people will talk about after I work with them.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both. Analog from microphone to tape, (whenever possible), DAW for editing and mixing. Analog mastering equipment is very expensive but worth It so I will outsource this process to a good Mastering studio if I can.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: If you mean what gear is essential to me, my answer is none. I never put gear before music or talent. But, good vintage or vintage type gear are desirable. also I think an effort must be made to use the best possible equipment. It shows effort, respect and professionalism.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I may record in different Studios but I mix ´In The Box´ and my setup consists in: Mac computer, Pro tools, Audio Interface (Focusrite, Universal Audio or Apogee), Plugins (Waves, Universal Audio, SofTube). Also I have Hafler M5 Studio monitor speakers which I love. If we go into more detail my approach to mixing consists in setting up the session very much like having an analog console so I will use the same channel strip in all/most tracks. But again, nothing is written in stone at the end it will depend on the music, the artist my mood and the moment.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Produce, Record and Mix. I sometimes do front of house mixing.