Hello! My name is Dean Giroir and I am a music producer, mixing engineer, and guitarist from Covington, La. It would be my privilege to mix, master or perform YOUR music!
Send me a note through the contact button above.
Interview with DG Studios
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: Producing, mixing, and mastering a project for group called Sonny Day and the Dreamer. It was a blast!
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: My own EP. It remains untitled at the moment.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: No.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I sum to analog because I just enjoy the warm feeling. However, I'm not opposed to digital. Some songs sound better summed to digital.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: That I will make their music come alive and match their vision.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: The creativity. It's how I'm wired.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: How much do you charge? I give them my cost but I also tell them I won't be satisfied until they are.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That is doesn't take countless hours of work, learning, and repetition.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What is your vision for your music? How do you want your music sound like? Any examples?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Do your homework but don't be afraid of hiring a lesser known engineer. We live in a time where technology has given us all very powerful tools at our disposal.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: 1. Acoustic guitar 2. Mic 3. Cable 4. Digital recorder 5. Creativity The rest is details.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been playing guitar for over 24 years and have been playing in bands since I was 14. I've recorded several albums and toured regionally. I got into audio engineering around 2007 and I've been working on my craft ever since.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Exciting. Huge sounding. Clear and precise.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would've loved to work with Prince. What a virtuoso. It would've been a dream come true.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: The fundamentals are so important. Things like proper gain staging and phase alignment can't be overlooked. However, it's important to have a clear vision and do whatever it takes to make that vision a reality.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Mostly traditional pop/rock music. Music with drums, bass, guitar, and vocals. However, I enjoy singer/songwriter type stuff as well. I'm not opposed to doing a dance track either.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My relentlessness. I don't stop until the client is happy.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I do whatever it takes to make a song come alive. I find the strengths of a song and accentuate them.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I first critically listen to the song and make notes on my first impressions. I then spend a good amount of time balancing the song with faders. After that, I start with the drums. I like making the kick and snare sound great with special attention made to the overhead Mics. After that, I focus on the bass. Making the drums and bass play nice together. I then focus on any guitars and/or piano. Next is the vocals. I spend as much time as I can on the vocals since they're the most important element in popular music. I then bring in any strings or synths and make them sit well amongst the other elements. I finally sweeten the mix with effects.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I use Pro Tools as my DAW. I have two (2) UA-610 preamps as well as a Dangerous D-Box which sums all my audio from digital to analog. I use the Waves Mercury bundle as my main plugins with Universal Audio plugins as well.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Chris Lord-Alge, Brendan O'Brien, Andy Wallace.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I provide mixing, mastering, and editing services. I'm also a session guitarist.
- Mixing EngineerAverage price - $200 per song
- EditingAverage price - $40 per track
- Programmed drumAverage price - $70 per song
- Acoustic GuitarAverage price - $70 per song
- Songwriter - MusicAverage price - $70 per song
- Recording StudioAverage price - $300 per day
