Remote Mixing and Mastering

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

A: Orphyn's self titled album. I played bass and provided some vocals for it and was a great learning experience.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: A death metal mix (surprise, surprise right?)

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

A: Sadly no... I'm very new to this site and hoping to make some friends!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital for most things, for financial reasons. Though nothing sounds like real tape saturation, and twisting real knobs on physical hardware is way better.

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

A: If you promise to be clear and communicate with me, I promise to give your track 5000% effort to make your vision a reality.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Being creative and making people happy when they hear their song.

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

A: How long will it take? 6-7 days!

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

A: Many people seem to think mixes just fall into place, when in fact there is much more going on than meets the... ear?

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Is there a song you want this track to sound like? Do you have any reference tracks you'd like to send? Do you have any particular effects you'd like on a part of the song? Does it need editing? Would you like any pitch correction done?

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

A: Have a clear(ish) vision of how you want your song to sound. I'm here to make your music sound like YOU want it! I don't want to deliver a product that doesn't make you happy.

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

A: Computer, interface, monitors, guitar, bass, and a 1/4 instrument jack :)

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

A: I stared with guitar when I was 12, and learned all the rock classics. I then picked up bass and fell down the jazz fusion rabbit hole for quite a few years. I then formed a progressive metal band with my father and brother in which I played bass. We wrote, recorded, mixed and mastered our own album and just over a years time. I have been building my own studio for a year, and now it's finally ready to pump some tunes out!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Heavy. For a metal or rock song, it should feel like you are in the room with the band.

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

A: Rush, because they are amazing musicians and visionaries. I feel like I would learn a lot from working with those guys! RIP Neal Peart.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: NEVER go fixing anything you don't hear! Take your time to get things right. the first time.

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

A: Death metal, Black metal, Progressive metal, the heavier the better! I also have worked on some rock and fusion-jazz stuff. I have written and mixed quite a few EDM tracks as well.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Big heavy kicks, thunderous toms, snappy snares and clear, crisp cymbals. I use a unique technique for bass that will have a big steady low end, while also letting the high end cut through the mix. Guitars will be heavy, powerful and deep; without muddying up the mid-lows of the mix. Vocals are clear and intelligible; I pay very special attention to vocals, because the human ear is particularly sensitive to the voice.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: As a lifelong musician, I know how the music should sound. It should pull you in and take you to the world the musician is trying to show you. Having a nice clean, full mix is crucial to this aspect of music. If there is something in the mix that takes me out of that "world" I instantly know what to fix!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Confer with customer to get an idea of how they want their song to sound, then ask for some reference tracks. Pull in stems, and do a quick 20 minute mix (panning, levels, bus routing, track grouping/naming, etc). I then switch to mono and take care of all the EQ and compression, this will be the majority of my mixing time. I will then flip between mono and stereo and make adjustments until the mix is strong in both. I will then add reverbs and delays and program automation to give the song some life. I then do some final polishing, and send the mix to the customer.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I use an ASUS Zephyrus G14 as a production computer, JBL 305p MKII's for monitoring, AKG K240 studio headphones, Orange Crush 35RT for guitar, Markbass Combo head II for bass and an M-Audio Axiom for MIDI control.

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

A: Though I am inspired by all the classic bands, my first musical love was Led Zepplin. I then discovered Rush and it blew my mind! Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neal Peart, Layne Staley, and Mikael Åkerfeldt are my biggest musical influences. As far as music production professionals, I really like Andrew Scheps' approach to mixing. Butch Vig, Rich Costey, Eddie Kramer, and Sylvia Massy are also sources of inspiration for me.

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

A: As a new studio, I don't have a steady clientele base (hence making a profile on here!). My most common type of work is mixing and mastering.