Vibe Enhancement

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

A: That I will be fair and reputable

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: How much freedom do I have to experiment on a scale of 0-5

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have everything you need to get a final project that you will be proud of. With that being said, if everybody essentially has the same types of equipment, what will cause your work to stand out from the crowd? I believe it boils down to the mix engineer's ears and their creativity

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

A: Bob Clearmountain, Todd Rundgren, Mark Heard

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

A: Mixing, reamping, mastering, dialog editing and sound design

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

A: All paths have lead here. You could say that I've been doing this in one way, shape, or form since 5th grade

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

A: The artist who would pay me a million dollars per mix.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Listen more, do less

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

A: Mostly guitar driven songs with an Indie, garage, psychedelic and/or post rock feel.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Not killing the vibe through over producing

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Listen, listen, listen, determine what's needed, listen again, implement ideas, listen, check vibe, add any tasteful ear candy, listen, master, listen

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

A: That this type of work is easy and that anybody with an interface and a good pair of headphones can do it.

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

A: Zig while the world is zagging. Or to put it another way, be a nonconformist; since everyone else is also. Hire someone who won't make you sound like everyone/anyone else.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: That can be answered multiple ways depending on your definition of style. Personality wise, my style is what ever you need it to be. If you need someone to pull out and cajole your best performance, then that's my style. If you need someone to push you to do your best, then that's my style. As far as production goes, if I had to describe my style, I would say that my work would fall on the sparse side of the spectrum. I like music to be able to breathe, and to ebb and flow. I like to leave room for each instrument to occupy its own space. I'm not one to do a lot of quantizing or use a lot of samples as I think it makes performances sound mechanical. I also think I'm a bit of a purist, though that tendency comes out in different ways depending on the particulars and is in no way consistent.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Recording, mixing, and mastering the debut album for Rudyhollapena.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. It's much easier and more affordable than analog. Plus, with people listening on cell phones and laptops, you can't perceive the analog richness.

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

A: I suppose the first piece of gear would be a boat that can withstand the ocean so I can get off the island. The 2nd piece would be enough food for the journey, etc...