Mixing/Mastering Engineer

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

A: Projects I am very pleased with would have to be the three songs I am working on at the moment. I am the singer, songwriter, drummer, guitarist, bassist, mixing and mastering engineer,

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am working on a few of my own songs alongside with a local band's EP based out of Memphis, TN.

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

A: At the moment, no. I haven't been on here that long but I will recommend people to clients if I am unable to perform a task!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: It depends on the type of music, I love music with guitars, drums and bass in analog. Music with a lot of digital instruments sound amazing in digital though. It all depends on the client and listener and what heir ears perceive as better.

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

A: I promise to deliver YOUR vision of the song. No ropes attached, clients help me continue what I love doing. I promise to work as hard as possible to rightfully earn 5-star ratings.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The client and I have creative control, he/she tells me the view they want for the song, I bring it to life. No one else besides the client is telling me how to work, it is very impowering for the both of us. The way it is set up in terms of time, I work on my own time. I can work for as little or as long as I want as long as I am being productive! Meeting new artists, of course! This is always and will forever be one of the best parts about this job.

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

A: How do you mix so much yet have time for other fields? Organization, concrete visions, working with the client. I have a map for all of these to make the flow of my work less stressful and time consuming. Are you okay with producing my style of music? Yes, of course! Music is music, just because it is different does NOT mean it isn't worthy of a great mix.

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

A: That I only do forms of Rock music. I absolutely love mixing rap music too. I appreciate ALL forms of music, it doesn't have to be radio friendly, I would love to mix and master music even if it was as insane and challenging as Captain Beefheart's "Trout Mask Replica".

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Their vision, their intent, style of audience they want/have, and the type of mix the want. I ask when they need the mix done by, ect. I am very eager to work with clients to achieve their goals when it comes to music.

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

A: Never be afraid of asking questions. There is no such thing as "too many questions". We are both working alongside each other to achieve BOTH of our goals. You need revisions? No problem, I am happy to help. This is YOUR music after all.

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

A: An acoustic guitar, Shure SM57 mic, audio interface, computer, and headphones. Simplistic yet effective.

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

A: My first career path was being a musician, it is still a passion of mine but I see so many musicians needing help on their music. This is why I am a Mixing/Mastering Engineer. I have been mixing and mastering my own music for roughly 10 years, along with my close friends and their acquaintances for about four. This career path just fits me, I love meeting fellow musicians and helping them get what they deserve.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: The style of music I create is very dark and demented, yet my style of mixing and is comparable to what you hear on the radio.

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

A: I would like to work with any artist that is as passionate and serious about music, no matter what form of it, as the professionals are. There are several people out in the world right now who out number the famous artists, yet just haven't found their voice in the music society yet.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: I actually have a few music production tips. Organize This eliminates unnecessary time consumption, helps the client know you are perfectly functional in the studio, and helps the client get their hard earned music quicker. Get Your First Mixes Reviewed by the Client This helps the client become satisfied with the mix, it also depletes unwanted time consumption. Without performing this task, you may lose a regular client, cause unsatisfactory mixing, and many more negative things. Begin With a Concrete Vision This is to me the most important tip. Without a vision of what you or the client want, the song won't have strong characteristics that help it stand out from the other million songs competing with it.

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

A: I usually work on Rock (Alternative, Punk, Emo, Hard Rock, Goth, Pop Punk) Metal (Alternative Metal, Nu Metal, Thrash, Metalcore, Death Metal, Deathcore, Black Metal, Trap Metal), Rap (Trap, Boom Bap, Alternative Hip-Hop, Horrorcore, Emo Rap, Alternative Rap, Old School).

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skills include, but are not limited to: Mixing and/or Mastering Music Producing alongside the client to help him/her find success out of their vision Playing guitar, bass, drums, piano

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Life, depth, and the warmth of a quality mix as any mix should. The listener should feel some sort of attachment to the song, along with emotion triggering qualities. I bring clean quality mixes that I hope to hear on the radio if the artist(s) pushes it enough. I will bring out certain qualities me and the artist(s) feel as more important, putting emphasis on them. The sense of wanting to listen to more is the most important thing I bring to a song.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I contact the client and discuss the image they want portrayed through their music, I write down key words and apply them to experiences I have encountered through the use of my many mixing processes. I take all of the tracks, and listen to the song as a whole front to back a good number of times to get a feel of it. Once I am comfortable to engage in the mixing process, I set everything to mono. I work my hardest to make it sound as perfect as possible this way; if it sounds great in mono it will sound perfect in stereo. I start cleaning up the mix, removing any unwanted noise and/or frequencies, then add plugins. Once i see the song as a whole is stunning from beginning to end, then I convert it to stereo and send it back to get feedback making sure this is what he/she wants out of it.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I use a mix of analog and digital depending on what I feel will bring the song to life more. I do all my mixing and mastering on FL Studio 20 along with several other plugins that can be found outside of this DAW. I have a plethora of EQs, Multiband Compressors, and many other VSTs and Plugins to create a warm, rich piece of music.

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

A: Producers: Butch Vig (Nirvana, Bush, Smashing Pumpkins) Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls, My Chemical Romance) Steve Albini (Nirvana, Shellac) Rick Rubin (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slayer, Johnny Cash) Musicians: Kurt Cobain (Singer/Guitarist for Nirvana) Dave Grohl (Drummer for Nirvana, Singer/Guitarist for Foo Fighters) Peter Steele (Singer/Bassist for Type O Negative) Jimi Hendrix (Singer/Guitarist) Joe Walsh (Guitarist for Eagles, Solo Artist)

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

A: I do articulate mixing and mastering to provide the best quality of audio suited for my clients. I use a multitude of plugins along with years of experience to insure the mix is perfect for him/her.