Recording Studio

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

A: I produced instrumentals on D.J. Clay's Let'em bleed Mix-tapes vol 1-4. Volume 2 Charted on the Billboard 200 @ 156, Top Heatseekers @ 9, Top Independent Albums @ 23, Top Internet Albums @ 200

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Recording and mixing an E.P. for a female pop singer/rapper. Also recording and mixing an E.P. for a tex mex band. Another current project i have going is hosting interviews with rappers and doing a cipher with them. I also produce the instrumentals for the cipher

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

A: No.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: To each their own.

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

A: I will always be fair.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Working with different kinds of music. Going outside my comfort zone. Working with young people. The satisfaction of making a song you know in your heart is good enough to be a hit.

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

A: Can you record a beat off of you tube? Yes. How do you make money off of your music? Work hard at it. Come up with a video, Pay for advertising on websites that have high traffic in your market. Be sure your music is on I-Tunes and anywhere your fans look for it. BMI ASCAP CD Baby, Tune core copywright.gov. Have you worked wit anyone Famous? Yes. E-40, Insane Clown Posse, Tech n9ne, Kool Kieth, Bizarre, Big Herk, Pretty Ricky Lil Eazy-E...

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

A: That it is easy.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I ask them to tell me a about the project. What kind of music is it. How many instruments am i going to record for your band? Do you have your instrumentals prepared and you lyrics written. How many vocalists are in your group or is it a solo act?

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

A: If you make a good recording I can give it a great mix. Make sure to use a condenser mic for your vocals and try to record in an caustically dry area. If you can't afford acoustic foam blankets and mattresses can be used.

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

A: Mpc, motif, M box, computer, Condenser mic

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

A: I started out as a rapper with a set up in my moms basement around age 13. By high school i wanted to get my music mixed in a larger studio so I sold studio time out of my basement set up to pay for mixing my music at a larger studio. Eventually I started partnering up with studios and freelancing. That took me to my position as Chief Engineer/Producer and manager at DivAudi Studios where I am at now. with over 15 years experience in the music business i can take your sound where it needs to go.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Versatile. Innovative. Open minded. Experimental. My Roots are in Hip-hop but I'm ready to go any where with it.

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

A: Busta Rhymes because his music has been so inspiring to me and I think I could learn a lot from him. He is so under rated and fairly modest about it.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Find the balance between staying current and being original.

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

A: Hip-Hop, Classical, Electronic, House, Jazz, Pop, Rock,Tex Mex, Singer-Songwriter, anything.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Producing Music.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A Mathematical understanding of music, Clarity, and Credibility.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It would depend on the project. I'll say I start with the instrumental and layer it with about 4 instruments(chord progressions and melodies). Then I would do the drums, and effects. Once I completed the idea for the beat on the mpc i will usually send the stems over to pro-tools, add a bass line and then structure the song (do the drops/key changes). After the instrumental is complete the artist would write the lyrics or match something they have to it and start the recording process. After recording, the mixing/editing process would be next adding pre-eq, compression, de-essers, post eq, vocal bus compression, reverb, and delay. I would also tune any singing vocal parts(without making you sound like a robot unless that's what your going for)

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I am working With a Tascam Dm-4800 Digital council, Pro Tools 10, Melodyne, Auto /Tune, Waves bundle, Maserati, a Variate of condenser microphones, A set of Pioneer CDJ's for scratching. Akai Mpc Renaissance, Motif Xs8, Universal Audio 6176 pre amp/compressor, A DBX Dule Vacume Tube Pre, amp w/ Digital out, Pre sonus 8 Digital mic/line pre amp with light pipe out. a 48 pt patch bay, Motu 1248 inerface, DP/4 parallel effects processor , plus the old Pro tools 7 HD 192 and midi i/o setup, A guitar and a Line 6 amp.

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

A: Prince Paul, Busta Rhymes, Sublime, Insane Clown Posse, Twiztid, Rick Ruben, Dr. Dre, 2-Chainz, Wu-Tang, Aerosmith, System of a Down, Three Six Mafia, E-40, Red Hot Chile Peppers, Pepper, Frank Sinatra, Tech N9ne, Guns and Roses, Atmosphere N.W.A. ...

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

A: I record vocals for singers and rappers on an average day in the studio. Often I also record full live bands. Other days I record demos for instrumentalists trying to get into college programs. I also produce instrumental on the clock and in my spare time for a versatile range of music and musicians. Mixing songs is something i take pride in and is another part of my daily tasks in the studio.