Remote mixing

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

A: The analog project I mentioned a few questions back. I felt so confident during that session. I was the recording engineer and also the mixing engineer.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Making music and freelancing a full time job!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! Digital is more accessible and relatively cheaper. It's important to be knowledgable as we're in a digital era. I also love the hands on, manual process with analog mixing. My favorite project to this day is a mixing project I had in college where we had to record and mix a song all analog and it came out beautifully. I had to physically turning knobs, switches, etc. for everything. Being hands on is part of my learning process helped me learn signal flow better too!

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

A: To be authentic and transparent.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Hearing the original vs the mixed song. I love bringing a song to life.

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

A: We're all in a grand studio with a lot of hardware. I learned in an amazing industry standard studio but some of us have a good home set-up with some hardware and good plug ins!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: If there's any budgets. I want to be mindful of people's money but I also want to make sure I can get paid and it's reasonable.

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

A: Look for a match who enjoys your music and can immediately figure out how to make it sound good!

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

A: Laptop, LA-2A, Massive Passive, a good interface, and guitar.

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

A: I believe I was at the end of my freshman year and was on my university's majors and minors page and "command+f" and typed in "music" and came across the Audio Technology, Music, and Society page. I looked into it, set up a meeting and joined the program! I started the program at during my spring quarter of sophomore year. I've been doing this for over four years.

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

A: Madlib. He's incredibly talented- a DJ, producer, rapper, and multi-instrumentalist. It's also amazing to me that he has a background in jazz and signed to Blue Note records. His music draws so many influences from different genres and styles and that is why he is so talented and unique to me. I know he's got a cult following but he deserves to be recognized more with awards the same way other multi-talented artists!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Never start with effects! And always have a reference track. Spotify has a great playlist for audiophiles.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Mixing drums.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Although engineering is a technical skill, it requires creativity and think of this as an art within itself. Sometimes it requires you to be untraditional- if that's what the artist wants.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Listen to music for inspiration, listen to client's song a few times, and then I start adjusting audio. I always start with volume, panning, EQ, dynamics, then add effects last.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I mix on Audio Technica headphones and Alesis monitors. I use a Focusrite interface.

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

A: Madlib (and all aliases), MF Doom, Miles Davis, Lauryn Hill, Noname, Ronnie Laws, Earth Wind & Fire, and Quincy Jones.

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

A: Mixing, recording, and consultations.