Recording/Mixing Studio

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

A: At the moment, the track on our page here. Ivahoe Trail's "Cassius Clay", a well written song with a great groove. The mix came together great. I recorded and mixed everything you hear.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Right now we are focused on doing single song recordings for artists to send them straight to streaming services and radio. Focusing one song at a time allows us to focus on each track without the weight of a large scale project. It also allows the artist to give their audience something new more frequently. It also makes the cost manageable without loosing quality over budget issues.

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

A: Simple, I promise your mix will be something your PROUD of. The worst thing about this industry is paying tons of money for something you hate to hear. I promise your mix won't suck.

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

A: Do I have to use a click?? Yes, always. If Neil Pert uses a click, then so should you.

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

A: Ua apollo, a laptop with pro tools, my guitar, a helix, and an SM7B...if I only have some damn power..

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When it comes to mixing, my philosophy is simple, What can I do to serve the song. I start with leveling, usually the first hour of mixing is getting to know the song, and leveling faders. After I have everything where it needs to be, then I start with EQ and compression. Finally, effects such as reverbs and delays that bring the most creative enhancements to the song. I love getting an initial mix out quick for customer review so we are all involved in completing the vision of the artist. A mixing engineer's worst enemy is EGO. We are here to serve your song, not our egos.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: We have two UA Apollo 8p's, which give us beautiful A/D conversion with preamps on every channel. We edit and mix with pro tools, and every UAD and waves plug in under the sun. We also have a gorgeous live room with two iso booths. We encourage Live recording to capture the magic of chemistry between band mates. After the base of the song is recorded, then we will go in with a microscope and re-record guitars and vocals.

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

A: I could list hundreds of bands that inspire me, but what the great ones have in common is their ability to make the best decisions to serve the song. Great song writers don't hide behind tricks or gimmicks. The greatest examples of this in my mind are Queens of the Stone age, and Foo Fighters. For years they have released amazing records consistently. As far as producers, Butch Vig and Brian Eno are legendary for their sound and philosophy on great records.

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

A: Not yet, new to the community!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. We live in a time that digital music gives us no more excuses. Also, analog gear can bring real color and beauty to your tracks. If you have the access to this great analog gear, great, use it! If not, we have legendary tones of the last 50 years in our computers. To be exclusive to either is foolish, there are endless possibilities.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Making music is my most sincere passion. Nothing excites me more than recording or mixing a great band or artist, and getting to that final product. Making an idea a reality never gets boring, especially with music.

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

A: The biggest misconception, I think for any post-mixer, is we can make any tracks sound amazing. When you first record your tracks you set a standard of the quality. If tracks are poorly recorded, there is only so much a mixing engineer can do to help that track. Make sure whoever is recording your original tracks knows what they are doing, or your whole project can be perceived as amateur.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: How was your music recorded, specifically. What is your music trying to say? What sound or style are you trying to achieve?

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

A: Listen to their mixes. If they don't have samples, or samples that you like, don't hire them. Our careers are represented by our work, and this makes it very easy for you. You can't hide behind a bad mix , it is really that simple.

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

A: Out of High School I went to train at Arlyn Studios in Austin, TX. For 2 years I learned all my skills is there legendary studio A. After that I worked Freelance for 10 years out of my own home studio, and Spitshine studios is Austin. I have worked with countless bands, and have done post production for television and movies. Now with my own studio, music is my main focus.

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

A: Usually Rock music is what I find myself working on most. Although from Country music, or "Red Dirt" country to the heaviest of Metal I also enjoy.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style, just as I have been preaching, is less is more.

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

A: Because I lean more towards Rock music, Dave Grohl would be ideal for me. Great song writer, guitarist, and exceptional drummer, Dave knows what a song needs to become great.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: My best piece of advice is the most simple, don't overthink it! I have worked with many great musicians who overthink there songs, and by the end of recording we are working with 50 tracks. At the end of the mix, we remove 50% of them to get the best mix. The sonic spectrum of your song only has so much space, don't waste it with 5 different synth pads or extra percussion when 2 do the trick.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is finding the best tone for each instrument in the mix. Even the best microphones need help when it comes to finding itself in the sweet spot of the mix, and that is where I strive.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Expertise of what listeners need to feel the true emotion of the track. As music professionals we know the in's and out's of everything technical. Some get lost in this knowledge and forget that we are all here to serve the listener. Bogging down your mix with too many bells and whistles can cloud what your song is really trying to express. I live by this and will bring your track to where it needs to be.

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

A: My most common work is bringing clients to my studio, recording and mixing from beginning to end. Although, mixing is where my true passion lies. Taking a song to the next level with a mix is the most exciting part of production for an engineer, and is where I love to contribute.