Mixing Guitar and Vocals

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

A: Selfishly I have to say my bands album "Politician's War". I was extremely proud of how the songs came out and the musicianship we displayed on the entire album.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am working on recording and mixing music for my bands second album.

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

A: Andres Mayo, I have personally picked him to master my bands album and he delivered an amazing and full sounding master.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog brings a warmth and sort of glue to your track that digital can't fully recreate, but digital has come so far and is so much more efficient it is really close. I would say digital, because with all the plugins that are available you can pretty accurately recreate the sound of analog.

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

A: That you will have your expectations met and surpassed in whatever you hire me to do.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Bringing new life to a track and hearing a clients feedback to my product.

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

A: Are you going to change the way my track sounds (referring to the vibe of their track). My objective is to listen to what you want out of a track and deliver that to you. I am not here to change the vibe of your track, I'm here to service you.

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

A: That a mix can fix a bad recording. Its said a lot but its true, you can't fix a bad recording no matter how hard you try.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What kind of sound are you looking for? Give me some artists for reference.

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

A: Make sure your track is of high quality and was recorded well. A great mix starts with a great recording.

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

A: A laptop with pro tools and a bunch of plugins on it, a Shure SM57, a 1073 pre-amp and eq, an acoustic guitar, and a Nord Keyboard.

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

A: I have been playing music for 12 years, beginning with piano until I picked up the guitar and started singing. Because of all these years I have been immersed in music, I know exactly what songs need to really shine, whether is be via me mixing them, or me playing guitar or singing on them.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My mixes bring out the already present good qualities of your song without doing too much as to completely change your song. My guitar playing can be described as exciting and memorable. And my vocals can be described as powerful and unique.

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

A: If I could work with any artist ever it would definitely be Led Zeppelin. If I had to pick a current artist, I would love to work with Maneskin.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't overdo it, sometimes the best mixes are simple and don't try to do too much.

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

A: I usually work on rock music, however I can work on virtually any genre of music.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My ability to decipher what the client wants out of their track and to deliver their track to them with all the qualities they were looking for out of it and more.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: When I mix I make sure to bring out the good qualities that are already present in the song, trying not to change the vibe of the song. I take out all of the qualities that are hindering the track and give the track a defined and clear sound. When I sing or play guitar on a track I bring 12 years of musical knowledge and expertise that will add a layer to your track that will bring it to a whole new level.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When I mix I listen to a song 3-4 times on headphones, then take it to the car to get an idea of what needs to be done. I start by getting levels even, then I pan the mics, then I add my compressors, eq, reverb, tape emulators, etc. as needed. As far as writing guitar or vocal parts, I give the song a few listens to get the vibe of it, then I start writing over the song until I have something I'm proud of.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I use pro tools to record and mix music. I own a KSM-137, 2x Shure Beta 52's, 4x Shure SM57's, and a Shure SM58. I own a Behringer X32, and numerous plugins I use on almost every mix, such as the Abbey Road plate reverb, Abbey Road mastering console, Eddie Kramer tape and helios, Neve 1073, and an 1176 and LA-2A. I also own a 2017 Gibson Les Paul Traditional, a 2020 Fender American Ultra Stratocaster, a replica 1959 Jimmy Page Mirror telecaster, a 1969 Marshall Super Lead, a replica 1964 Handwired Fender Deluxe Reverb, and a multitude of guitar pedals.

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

A: Led Zeppelin is my #1 musical influence, along with bands like Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, and Pink Floyd just to name a few. As far as mixing engineers, I'm inspired by Eddie Kramer, Glyn Johns, Butch Vig, and many more.

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

A: Mixing, Composing guitar parts, and Singing.