Producing/Mixing/Mastering

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

A: Recently, in May of 2022, I worked on a titled “Battleground.” I worked on that song with an old friend who was the drummer in a band I was the lead vocalist for back in 2011. We share a lot of similar interests musically and have known each other for years playing in different bands together. So you could say there is a lot of good musical chemistry between us. We hadn’t collaborated and wrote anything together since 2011, so it felt really good to get back into it.

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

A: I would like to work with Hippo Campus because their productions are always so different and creative. I would like to see what I could bring further to the songs.

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

A: I primarily work with indie genres, however I do like a challenge from time to time. If it’s a genre I have never worked on before, I will discount the pricing to gain the experience.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a sense of creativity and emotion to any project. I want the song to be felt, not just heard.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: For me, it all starts with the production of a song. I like to start with getting the song dialed in musically and make sure all the elements in the song are serving the song. Once the song is instrumentally full and the best takes have been record, the mixing process begins. If I am hired for a mixing job, I start the mix listening in detail to understand the vibe of the track, then begin mixing. I work with a template that emulates an SSL console to try and give it that analog flavor.

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

A: As a producer, guys like Jack Antonoff, Don Was, and Rick Rubin have my interest the most. For mixing, Tom Elmhirst, Andrew Scheps, Bob Clearmountain, Greg Wells, and Markneeham. Mike Crossey who produced and mixed The 1975’s records also.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Along with many other up and coming engineers and producers, I work out of a small room and a computer. However the room has been sound treated to fit my listening environment. I use different sets of speakers outside of my studio monitors to check any mixes or productions in “real world” situations. I also implicate NX technology in my studio and on the road. It comes in handy if outside of my listening environment is noisy or while I am traveling and using my laptop to work.

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

A: I would say the biggest misconception about what I do is that I “make beats.”

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Currently, I am living the island life meeting local artists in Hawaii to collaborate with in the near future. Also, I am mixing tracks for another EP or possible album for my solo project.

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

A: Dalton Allison is great! Especially if you write psychedelic rock or pop. He has mixed two of my singles and the guy has got a great talent. He is also a talented bass player. I got to see him perform with his band when they came thru Los Angeles.

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

A: I commonly get asked if I can tune any bad vocal performance. My answer is always to try, but if the vocal starts to sound unnatural with too many artifacts, I will suggest re-recording to get as close to the perfect take.

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

A: Try to be detailed and precise with the sound you are striving to achieve. Reference tracks, song notes, and rough mixes are helpful.

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

A: I used to work a travel industry related customer service job before perusing my music passion. I try to bring those customer service skills into my work with music. I currently do this part-time and have been for 4 years. But not as a hobby, this is an obsession!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Saturation helps bring out the beauty in audio.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Time management.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Depends on the project. I enjoy the saturation the analog bring to the project, so I will always try and use an analog simulation in my DAW to get some good saturation going.

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

A: I vow to make a song that presents the artists' vision to the listener with as much emotion as possible.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: One day, I will be able to call this a job. But today, I am able to say I like being able to collaborate with different artists and create art in audio form.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Depends on what the project is, but some important questions are... Is there a deadline? Do you have a song created or need to create one? Is there a demo of the song? Do you have a rough mix? What artists inspire you? Do you have any favorite records? What is the story behind the song?

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

A: My cream white on white Fender Mustang, Neumann TLM 103, Mac computer, headphones, and my Focusrite Clarette 8pre.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Trusting the process with a twist of perfectionism.

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

A: The most common type of work I do is producing. Whether we are on a deadline, or have all the time in the world, the most important element is the emotion and feel. I try and capture that as best as I can for an artist.