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!
Contact me through the green button above and let's get to work.
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
