Mix and Master for Metal/Punk!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I've been working the past year in the comeback album of an old band from my hometown: Linguachula

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: - Is the tracking was done without problems? - How many tracks your song have? - Do you wanna the mixing with mastering or just one of them? - Is it edited or not? - Do you wanna an alternate mix?

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

A: The live album "Pig Mouth Strikes Again", from the punk band Muzzarelas. I've worked a lot with them, as a roadie and cameraman. One day, they'd came a comeback show and invited my band, Don Ramón, for being the supporting act in the gig. I proposed for their bassist, Daniel Etê, to record both the concerts in analog tape. Back then, I was excited to finally record something to the oldest act in activity in Campinas and a couple of years later, it became reality in the form of a Compact Cassette, which sold out quickly.

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

A: Any AKG's headphone; A Shure SM57; My beloved 424; Any small diafragm condenser and a lot of cassette tapes

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

A: I'm a known "studio rat" in my hometown... In the beginning, I didn't knew what I was doing and how it all worked. In 2009, I graduated as a Sound Operator, but due the lack of hiring new audio technicians at the local studios, I've been working as a freelancer, doing audio jobs for the local bands. In 2016, I was accepted for Record Production at the Techology College of Tatuí, andIi was one of the interns of the college's studio, which is the biggest place for teaching audio in Latin America.

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

A: Carlos Freitas, from Classic Master

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Without doubt, Analog! Just because: Without the analog workflow, digital wouldn't exist and, most important, a phonogram is basically electricity converted to audio, nor zeros and ones.

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

A: No "promises", just the good work without cheating in the process.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Besides earning some money, it makes me satisfied to see the artist's happiness with the job done, because in first place, I'm an musician and I had the same sensation in the first time I went to a recording studio and listened to my own tracking.

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

A: Customer - Artie, let's record it quickly? Me - Calm down! All your setlist is properly rehearsed? If yes, let's do it! If not, let's first record your rehearsal as the pre-production of your album. After it, then let's do it!

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

A: "Audio Engineers? I don't need it... I'll do it with only two channels and it'll be awesome!"

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

A: You won't be disappointed with my work... I love and live what I'm doing, for sure!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: A mixture of Digital and Analog, hoping one day for work in a tape-based studio, if it still exists.

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

A: If I could do just a single for Deftones, I'll be grateful for the rest of my life. It would be the way that I return all the love that I have for the band.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: The more organic your record sounds, better it will be for wider audiences

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

A: Heavy Music: Punk Rock, Hardcore, Thrashcore, Metalcore, Nu-Metal, etc.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: The application of the analog technology in my work as a guide from beginning untill the end.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: The musician's best performance, without post editions and all the stuff which is common for a lot of people...

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work with: - A 16-track Tascam M-1516 as my recording/mixing desk - A US-16x08 as my audio interface - For the DAW, I use Pro Tools, REAPER or Audition; - After mixing, the bounce is done through a reel to reel tape recorder;

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

A: Well, I'm a Die-Hard Nu Metal fan, which implies that I've been listening to every record that Ross Robinson, Terry Date and Steve Albini produced since I was young. From Helmet to Islander... Now, for mastering... Ted Jensen is my favorite one because he did almost all the Deftones' discography at Sterling Sound.

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

A: For most of the clients at the studio that I work, I do everything: From tracking the song 'till mastering the entire album.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: All the process is done out of the box in the majority of time;