Mixing and Mastering

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

A: The Du-Rites "A Funky Bad Time" it just came out is doing well we're on top of the funk niche and it is hard to be able to put a successful independent project during the pandemic 2020

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Mimi Maura & The Du-Rites, MIX, Sergio Rotman (Los Fabulosos Cadillacs) MIX, Lulu Lewis Production, Malcom Joseph (Production), M.O.P remix.

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

A: The Du-Rites, Lulu Lewis, J-Zone, Tom Tom Club, The Sun-Ra Arkestra

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: As much as I love analog I go for digital. It is accesible for the blue collar artist. I'm very sensitive to that.

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

A: I'm gonna get the best possible out of your files and it will be on time.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I work with art.

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

A: Can you have it by tomorrow? It depends... If I need revisions can you do that? I normally establish a certain number of revisions with the initial budget. Can I send you MP3? Preferably no, please no. Can I use the same master for Vinyl, CD and Streaming? Possible but not ideal Can you record a 54 pages voice script and get it mixed and edited in 3 days? yes

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

A: I'm supposed to make everything to sound splitting ears loud.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Are you happy with your project? Do you want anything specific to achieve? Are you ready to start with this process? what's your dead line?

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

A: Always go with the one who is willing to give to the time and the ears you need and the budget you have. The biggest studio and the big producer won't be able to do nothing for you if you only have a few hours.

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

A: I started in 1997 as an Studio Assistant for Back Pocket Studios in NY, shortly I moved to Mixed Impressions INC as the main assistant and Protools engineer (one of the first in the city during the analog to digital transition), then I moved to Digital Force LTD NYC and became the Chief Mastering Engineer, from there as mastering engineer moved to Trutone Mastering, then Discmakers. Then in 2011 I became the lead guitar in Tom Tom Club (Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth from Talking Heads) and spend a few years on the road, then I became a full time freelance audio engineer tho this day. In other words I've been around working non stop since 1997.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Powerful, Raw, Beautiful, Lush, experimental.

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

A: I would have loved to have the chance to work with Curtis Mayfield. Just because of having the experience to see how he did it. how they come up with such performances.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't be afraid to start the simplest way, Don't be afraid to state the obvious but always be nice about it. Don't make artists specially singers to feel insecure.

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

A: Funk, Hip Hop, Latin and Alternative Rock

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I have perfect Hearing, Perfect Pitch but I'm not OCD I and like music with rough edges, I like the personality of that, but when I need to fix an issue I know exactly where to aim.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: The emotional experience. I found the point into a mix where it touches you, every song no matter what king of fidelity was recorded has an emotional peak, once is found then it is unbreakable.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Analyze the files first, asses the project and what needs to be done, and evaluate the client expectations. Then when all is settled between me and the client the rest is getting the work done properly and on time.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: It is a small room in NY city and big room in Brooklyn, we have some exotic gear there as well as very standard stuff.

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

A: I like people like Steven Stanley or Alex Sadkin.

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

A: I do Mixing and Mastering work, been specialized in Vinyl releases, but I also do a lot of remixing, arranging and lots a voice over work, editing.

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

A: A Sm 57, an xlr cable, an apollo twin, a laptop with decent version of protools and decent storage space and a long lasting battery. Because I work with the simplest and up, with the stuff I described I can't fail.