Travis Schuster is an aspiring audio engineer in the greater LA area. Through many years of hands on experience and specialized training from world-class audio engineering schools, I have developed skills that I use to bring your sonic imagination to reality.
Using the best tools available and my experienced ears, I transform your song into a sonic masterpiece.
Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.
Interview with ..xx
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I did some audio editing on a film that was shot illegally in Saudi Arabia. It was very interesting.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: My own music.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Not yet.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Analog and digital. Use digital for certain tone shaping and time based fx. Use analog to sum, add character, and refine the stereo image.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I'll deliver the results your looking for, on time, or it's free.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Using my ears, experience, and tools to make your music sound as good or better than what you heard in your head
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Can you make it louder? Yes.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That you only need one person record, mix, and master the same material. It will always sound better to, at the very least, separate the recording process from the mixing and mastering process. Ideally you would have three different engineers work in three different rooms. Most budgets do not permit that but two sets of ears is always better than one.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: Do you have a song you want me to reference? What is the end goal with this production? Internet release? Physical? Live reproduction?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: The quality of the recording will directly correlate to the quality of the mix or master. Only so much can be done in the mixing and mastering process.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Symphony MKII, computer with DAWs, UAD plugins, neve analog summing, ATC monitors.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I have been working professionally for 3 years. I started practicing audio when I was 15 just recording myself and friends in my basement using whatever I could afford. I started going to school for audio in 2010 and finished in 2013, graduating top of my class from SAE in SF.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Aggressive, loud, and clear. The guitar I play is a progressive fusion of jazz/metal/folk.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Any artist that understands the benefits of having multiple engineers work on your music. If your music was recorded in a top notch studio and you just want another set of ears to mix or master your song, that is why I'm here. Even if you recorded it your self in a garage, I can make it sound better. But the best recordings make the best masters.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Parallel compression. Parallel compression everywhere.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Metal, rock, and hip hop. Occasionally dubstep or hard style electronic music.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Listening. Also utilizing distortions tastefully to achieve unique sonic characters. I am very good at making music sound aggressive.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Having a good ear and being able to hear what the musician wanted is paramount to bringing out the best in a recording. Tonally I like to make things bright and airy with just enough bass. I love bass but it's a tool like anything else.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I listen to the audio. A/B it to reference audio I know well or that the client has provided. When I'm mixing; level adjustments, panning, EQ and compression until the individual elements of the song are properly placed in the stereo image. Using time based fx as needed to create the right feel. Mastering is more listening and less knob turning. "Loud, clear, and thick" are words that people have used to describe my masters.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: 32 channels of analog summing with the best conversion and plugins available makes your audio sound like its been bussed threw a console but with more versatility.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Adam Dutkiewicz, Joey Sturgis, Zakk Wylde
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Mixing and mastering. I make audio sound better. Simple as that.
- Mixing EngineerAverage price - $50 per song
- Mastering EngineerAverage price - $30 per song
- EditingAverage price - $10 per track
- Electric GuitarAverage price - $150 per song
Same-day mixing & mastering. Guaranteed complete within 24 hours unless otherwise noted. Up to three revisions for any service.
- Apogee Symphony MKII
- UAD plugins
- Burl 32 analog summing
50% off any service for first time clients
