Mixer, Mix Coach, Topliner

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is called Capture Imagination Studio. I mix mostly "in the box," but do also have some good analog gear I will use when it's needed. I have a wide array of excellent plug-ins and a top-notch CPU to run them all. From a recording standpoint, I'm mainly set up to record myself for now. The rest is dedicated to mixing. My own recordings (if you find me online) were made at home using "budget" gear and with little-to-no training in recording. I've upgraded a lot in the last 2 years and am better equipped now to produce better sounding, better recorded music. My older recordings were made before I knew what I was doing, and before I started taking music recording, production, and mixing very seriously. There is some progression over time, which you can hear by comparing my most recent music (Anastomosis) to past music, but those songs still aren't quite to where I am now, as an engineer. Still, I keep them published because it shows were I've come from as an artist, and my hope is that they can also show you, as an artist, what "untreated" recordings (my old music) sound like, compared to treated/processed recordings. It's important to know that I built my skills practicing on recordings made in project studios, both my own and others', where I learned a lot. I know how to handle audio recorded in non-ideal environments and how to get it up to standard. I have also mixed records made in professional studios. Regardless of what kind of studio you used in making your record, I will work to turn the song into a radio-ready release.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm completing my own album, Embers and Dawn, set for release in late 2023. I've hired a mastering engineer to help me get a second ear on them. Next, I'll be remixing and re-recording some of my old compositions and recordings, trying to get them up to par. These are long-term projects. Short term, I'm taking clients as they come.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital, because I can afford Digital, and because advances have gotten so good that digital performs basically as well as analog, and with recall. Gear is important, but what is more important is having an engineer with the expertise, training, and time to know how to use the gear they have to create the sounds a song needs. Still, I would love to have more analog gear in my studio. Analog gear just FEELS better than digital, but I don't currently have tens of thousands of dollars to do that.

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

A: Talk to several people and find the one who meets your needs best. Paying more does not always give you the best sound for your work. Set a budget for yourself and take the time to find the best match you can for your budget. Also, good mixing takes a lot of time. If someone promises a very quick turnaround (3 days for 12 songs), ask more questions about how they are able to do that. Also, a good mixer will request to hear your songs before you contract with them.

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

A: Pop/Rock music, usually by independent artists, and often recording in home/project studios.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I am particularly good with writing catchy melodies and thoughtful lyrics, and I've always first and foremost been a singer. This is why I also offer topline writing services in addition to mixing. As a mixer, my best skills are translating my training and expertise as a singer and songwriter to carry the emotions of a song to the listener. Vocalists are often tasked with carrying a hefty amount of the emotional weight of a song. As a mix engineer, I also try to bring that passion for emotions to songs that I mix.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I have a good ear for melody, composition, and feeling. So, as a mix engineer, I try to incorporate, when I can, additional highlights to bring out the feelings/emotion in your performance. I believe collaboration makes us all better. I am also an excellent communicator. My main career/training has been in clinical psychology. I often joke with others that I am a professional listener. I listen to others in my psychology work, and I listen to other's art in my musical work. I bring a unique perspective, then, in my ability to integrate my two passions - people and music - together into one. Music is nothing without the people who make it and the people who hear it. To me, it's the interaction between people and music that make it beautiful! Right now, mixing is my "side hustle," but it's also my passion. I mix every day, and I stay busy. Because I'm mixing "on the side," I limit the amount of clients I take at a time, and if I take you as a client, you become my sole focus during my "mixing time." Another benefit of hiring me is that mixing-for-hire is not what I use to pay the bills. I have a stable career that pays my bills, and so I am not reliant on getting jobs on here to pay my bills. So, by contracting with me you can rest assured that I am working on your project because I believe in it and believe I can genuinely create for you a finished product that fits what you're looking for. Even though mixing is not my full-time career, I still do mix every day and thus can still offer a reasonable turnaround time, but I also will never "rush" through a song. I'll spend the time necessary to get it sounding great.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I first interview the artist to understand their vision for a project. Getting to know who you are as a musician, I think, is key to helping produce a product that fits your needs. After a short interview, if we "match," I take your music and prepare everything to be mixed in my DAW of choice (usually Ableton Live). On average, I spend about 3-4 hours per song mixing, starting with the key elements of the composition (usually rhythm section - drum and bass) and working my way up to end with vocals. A well-recorded song can be mixed more rapidly, but if you recorded your song in less-than-ideal circumstances, I will also clean the audio when needed with state-of-the-art, high quality software. After I've completed a mix, if the artist wants, I will also go back and grab screen recordings of the final plug-ins I used and will provide commentary about why I chose them and how I set the settings to your song. This is one of my favorite parts of mixing, teaching other artists how to achieve similar results on their own.

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

A: My favorite mix engineer is Andy Wallace. I love his work and aspire to follow his techniques when I can. My favorite artists/musicians of all time are the Beatles, Pain of Salvation, and Survivor.

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

A: "Do you like the song?" I probably wouldn't accept a project if I didn't at least like the song. So, if I agree to work on your song, it's because I like it. At the same time, art is very subjective and just because a song doesn't suit my tastes doesn't mean it's not a good song. There are many songs in history that have won Grammys for best song that I don't like, but many other people do. So, I encourage musicians to produce music that THEY like and that THEY are proud of, and to understand that through the creative process, some people won't like their songs. What's important is that YOU like your song. And what's important to me as a mixer is that I help create something that you like better than the original.

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

A: (Let's assume this desert island has electricity). You can do so much "in the box" now that if I had to limit to 5 pieces of gear, I'd bring the essentials for recording. 1) A computer 2) An audio interface. On a desert island, you don't need much, cause you can't bring many mics - 2-in, 2-out. I would cheat and bring Ableton's new Push 3, because it doubles as an expressive MIDI controller and audio interface. 3) IK Multimedia iLoud micro monitors. They're small, so you can take them anywhere on the island, but they still sound GREAT! 4) Rode K2 tube mic (and included accessories). 5) My Gibson Les Paul Classic Funny enough, I'm leaving out several of my favorite pieces of gear, which is a real shame, but these are the essentials.

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

A: I am primarily a singer by training and interest. I started (private) vocal training at an early age and did my rounds as a teen in several select (regional) vocal competitions for both solo and group/choir performance. I also started writing music at 15, and my first gigs were as a member of my church youth group's worship team. We weren't awesome, but we did okay and it was great to have a regular "gig," playing twice a week for several years. It gave me great experience as a performer and served as platform to test out songwriting. I taught myself piano and guitar to accompany my singing, and bloomed into a more independent songwriter/composer from there. I continued to play shows through college and still love creating, writing, and performing original music. I started mixing more seriously in 2020. I trained through the Produce Like a Pro Academy and some other online outlets, combined with just practicing 1-3 hours every day, as much as I could. I opened Capture Imagination Studio in April 2022.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I have an eclectic musical background and am comfortable in many genres, but my own style is more melodic rock and pop. I like big drums and moving basslines in most songs (where it makes sense). I also like to use creative panning, subtle volume changes, strategically placed FX, and moving EQ curves to create feeling in music.

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

A: Mixing audio recorded in home or project studios.

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

A: That anyone with the right hardware or software can do what I do. The human touch is extremely important in mixing, and though AI software exists that can mix and master your tunes, AI software will never mix as well as a human with the right experience and practice (which takes thousands of hours).

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

A: My favorite band is the Swedish, progressive metal band Pain of Salvation. I love the way they create songs with endless variety and lots of emotion, such that even a 13-minute song never gets boring.

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

A: I'll listen to you, respect you, and collaborate with you on the project.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Take the time to learn from others, and train your ears to listen like a mix engineer. Listen to "rough mix" songs before they've been treated by professionals. It will give you a better idea of what your own recordings should sound like. Be kind to yourself.