Remote Mixing and Mastering

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

A: I would say the EP that is about to release for my band. I not only handled the mixing and mastering for the album but I also composed the songs, sang on them, and helped with the design work. It's a bit of a passion project and to see it finally come to fruition is an amazing feeling!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: About to release an EP for my band Pale Kaiori on Oct. 1st. I took care of all the audio for it and am very happy with how it turned out! I'm also finishing up an EP for a client that involves bassist Dave LaRue so that's just too cool.

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

A: Adam Bentley from Arch Echo. He is a great engineer who I've worked with in the past, super nice guy too.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. I have worked with analog equipment at school, but for my home set up it just makes sense to keep it in the box.

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

A: My promise is that I will provide commercial quality mixes to their standard and will not be content until they are.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Being able to work on songs I genuinely like and being a part of bringing them to life. It's like painting a picture and when you get to the end of the painting/mix it's so rewarding to see/hear the finished product knowing where it started from.

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

A: Q: Can you send us a bounce down of the mix where it's at now? A: Absolutely I never mind sharing the progress of a mix. Since I am working on their song, I value all feedback from my clients and try my best to ensure their mix comes out the way they intended. I look at it as a collaborative effort.

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

A: Not too sure, honestly.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What sound they are looking to achieve, if they have any demos/recordings, their deadline, and if they can ensure files are sent in a folder and organized. Having tracks labeled and categorized makes the project prepping process much easier, which allows for a faster turn around time.

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

A: It always helps to provide demos even if they aren't recorded that well. Anything audible, like a phone recording, will help paint the image in the engineer/producers head.

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

A: I went to school for Music Technology back in 2010 and started taking clients in 2015. I would love to take on more remote projects in the future and work on other genres alongside rock.

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

A: Progressive rock, metal, djent, and post-hardcore. I have engineered latin jazz songs for clients in the past, as well as, blues tunes.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a home studio and I occasionally do freelance work at of a studio called Lighthouse Sounds in Alton, IL. Cubase is my main DAW of choice. I have an Axe Fx II at my home studio, which I use for guitar tracking and re-amping. I also use Nolly's Neural DSP plugin as well. I love using Modern and Massive and Superior Drummer for midi drums as they offer a natural clean sound to the foundation of a song.

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

A: I would take my Axe Fx II, my Music Man JP 6, Scarlett 18i20 interface to record into my Macbook Pro, which I would also bring, and my sm7b for vocals because singing is another major passion of mine.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Clean, separated, and punchy!

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

A: I would love to work with Plini or any of the great progressive instrumental guitarists because of their heavy focus on their song's vision. From the tones to the articulations of a section, artists in prog music always have a fully fleshed out idea of what they are trying to achieve in the end. I believe being exposed to that outlook with artists I respect would be educational and rewarding.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Be thorough every step of the mixing process. So many engineers will cut corners and settle with an edit, a sample, or a 'take' that could have been better if the attention to detail was there. Always keep in mind that a part can sound better than it does already. Don't be afraid to experiment and step outside of your comfort zone if it compliments the song further.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Production and editing. I tend to get surgical with editing because of how important it is to the overall vibe. Great editing in a mix can elevate a song to a another level when executed properly.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A level of detail and production that is complimenting to any track. I love to add depth to a song and create an atmosphere with heavy textures and synth sounds.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When mixing/editing stems for clients I tend to start with getting the drums polished sounding whether they are midi or natural drums. Guitars are next in line, reamping depends on clients choice for tones. For bass I run D.I. tracks through the Parallax Bass Plugin by Neural DSP and blend a raw and a sub D.I. underneath. I like to focus heavily on cleaning up vocal tracks, ensuring they are tuned and edited professionally. I do all of my mixing into a master chain for a more true perspective when dialing in a mix.

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

A: Nolly Getgood, Taylor Larson, and Simon Grove are some of the few most influential producers and artists to me.

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

A: Local session recording, mix engineer, produce, and mastering. I also assist artists with song composition and creating back-tracks for live use.