Mixing, Mastering, Editing

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

A: I loved working with "The Casual Encounters" because the challenge of working in a genre, in this case blue grass, that you had not worked much in, always brings out the best of your "engineering" personality. Plus doing research on new music means getting exposed to new amazing artists everyday.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Doing tracking a mixing for a local country artist.

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

A: not yet but I hope so soon.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Yes. The best of the digital world at the moment is programmers and software designers replicating the old analog hardware. And they are doing that for a reason. Its best to have both to have all the options when a song needs it.

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

A: My promise is to never stop until it is the best product it can be. Period.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Learning. Plain and simple. Its never same week in and week out. You have to learn and make connections and have an open mind at all times!!

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

A: I hear "How can you make me sound like so-and-so" a good deal. My answer is, I will always do research and my all to find ways to help make you sound like a certain artist, but in the end I will make you sound like the very best version of "You".

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

A: Anyone can do this. Its easy. Its all presets. The list seems to grow by the day.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Tell me about your musical past, tell me where you are at now as an artist or musician, and tell me where you want yourself and your sound to be going forward.

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

A: Trust your ears, and trust your judgement. They are hard to fool!

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

A: I love my console, but I could live with a tiny m-box, my tower because living with out my plugins just isn't living. I would bring my acoustic guitar my father gave to me when i was 7, and extra strings! And last but not least, a notepad. Never underestimate the power of a notepad!

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

A: I began by being a musician, and writing and touring, and then I wanted to do so much more, and then I started recording friends, and then local groups and so on and just grew from there with each passing day.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is best described as multiple personalities. As scary as that may sound at first, I find it best to be able to bring difference mindsets to each and every song. By that i mean, first you have to just listen and be a music lover. Then you have to be a producer, and then walk away and come back and be an engineer, and then walk away again and come back and be a perfectionist.

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

A: I would love to work with the deftones and/or the Foo Fighters. Their use of the "wall of guitars" is just unmatched and just gives me goosebumps everytime.

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

A: I work on everything. A good long time ago I learned to find beauty if all music. If you can't appreciate what makes each song unique and beautiful, you have no business doing this job!

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a musician's ear. Yes the skills and mastery of years of editing and mastering are there, but i believe first and foremost you need to be a music lover and a muscian. If you can't bring your heart to the song, what good is your head?

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Dual monitors help with views of both editing and mixing. A nice presonus console with two yamaha HS-8's up behind it to hear each and every little detail. And most importantly, a great spot for motivation juice!! (coffee)

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

A: I adore the mixing and mastering engineers who are always growing and adapting to what new technology, new techniques, and new music style are always coming out and always changing. Just to name some obvious ones, Butch Vig, Dave Pensado, Matthew Faulkner, Dave Aron, and Dave Atkins just to name a few.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Finding great balance for all the pieces of the puzzle, and learning your work inside and out to emphasize the correct parts and make it stand out to the ear.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: The best tip one could ever give is always keep learning. Each and everyday.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I like to just talk to the artist or group first and get the feelings and emotions from them to understand what it is they want their hard work to sound like in the end. In my humble opinion is the first and very most important step.

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

A: A good amount of tracking in our studio, but most of the work is done in the mixing and mastering room. Its what we are great at.