Indie Rock Mixing Engineer

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

A: My favorite mix I have done is for the band called The Heather Gray (One of their songs is featured on my profile). I mixed the EP, Young Un. We recorded the EP in my parent's house, and I did all the recording, editing, mixing, and also co-produced. Given the environment we had available at the time, the mix sounds clean and punchy.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Currently, in the lab, I have a guitar amp design I am fine-tuning. In the studio, I just finished a mix for the artist, "Reflected.". I am slowly working on a new EP for my personal music project, "Tallmyth".

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

A: Nate Barnes recently recorded live drums for a song on my new project. I highly recommend him for an indie track (or really any track for that matter)

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Ah, yes, a debate for the ages. The person putting in their ear buds and turning on their favorite record isn't hearing whether the mixer used the analog or digital domain...they are hearing a song.

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

A: Mixing is not just a profession for me. It's a blank canvas, and I will take on the identity of your music as if I had the same vested interest in its release.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Because the audio industry is built on a foundation of subjectivity, one is constantly in a fluid state of learning and adaptation.

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

A: How do I get my tracks to you? You'll need to export them as stems, zero-referenced. The process is different for each DAW. We'll work together to get the tracks in the right format.

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

A: Mixing is not a purely technical exercise. While there is a lot of technical know-how required, the process is artistry in its own right.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: How many songs? How many tracks in each song? What is your vision for this project? Do you have a release date yet and/or how much time do you have for the mixing process? Do you require any editing/vocal tuning? Do you plan to perform the record live, and if so, what is your bands format?

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

A: Be available for questions. Open communication is key when sending files back and forth, discussing vision, and anything else that arises during the process.

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

A: 1. Laptop 2. UA Apollo Twin 3. My trusty Fender Telecaster 4. SM57 (for durability, because sand is coarse and gets everywhere...a condenser capsule would be destroyed within minutes) 5. A boat so I can go back and get a midi controller because I will have forgotten it at home

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

A: I started out as a guitarist and like every other 16 year old, I was going to make it big. I played in various groups as a guitarist and bassist for a number of years. However, parallel to my live performances, my good friend and I were forging recordings in my little home studio. We fell in love with production and the infinite sound possibilities it offered us. I went to college for electrical engineering and got a "real job," but I kept making music along the way and building up my studio. In 2018, I started Groovy Bean Audio and built an optical compressor because I couldn't afford to buy a TLA100. Once I started using my degree for good and making recording gear, I was hooked. Through building audio circuits, I developed an even deeper appreciation for sound and what really matters: the song. Your song. It's been over 10 years since my friend and I came out with our first EP on our Myspace page, and even after all this time, I still can't wait to finish typing this so I can get back to working on the next one...

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Organic and natural. I like to enhance the artist's original intention and not overpower it with too much processing. Unless, of course, the goal is to forge the sound IN the mixing process. In that case, the sky's the limit.

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

A: I would love to make a record with Adam Granduciel or Kurt Vile from the band, The War On Drugs.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: A good production welcomes you INTO the song. High pass that synth pad...mute that extra rhythm guitar...songs hit you harder when they have room to wind up.

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

A: Indie music is what I understand the most being an indie artist myself and having worked on mostly indie pop/rock records to date.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Creating unique effects using common tools in an unconventional way. Post-production and the vast opportunities for sound-scaping it offers, is one of my favorite stages of a project.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Originality, a strong work ethic, and a fresh perspective.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: 1. Listen to your track. If it's a collection of songs, I'll listen to all of them together. I want to get an understanding of what your music is before we can work toward what it will be after mixing. I may ask you some questions at this point for any needed clarity. 2. Mix your track. This is where I deep dive each track, bringing out the details: make it sound four-dimensional. I get technical here. 3. Revise, if necessary, until you have a product you can't wait to release.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is located in my home in Phoenix, AZ. I built my own acoustic treatment (bass traps, mid-band absorbers, and diffusers). I use Genelec monitors which give an accurate sound picture, and an assortment of outboard analog gear that I have designed and built myself. However, much of the work I do is in the box where I have access to editing and more fine-tuning capabilities.

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

A: Artists that have inspired my work: The War On Drugs, Softer Still, Empire of the Sun, Vacation Manor, Bombay Bicycle Club, Foster The People, Kevin Krauter, and many, many more...

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

A: I have served as a producer, arranger, songwriter, session player, mixing engineer, or some combination of these with some of the most creative people I have met. However, the majority of projects have required extensive post-production and mixing work, and that process is what I am most passionate about.