Music Producer, Sound Engineer

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

A: I would say J Balvin "Vibras". I got a latin grammy for Best Urban Album, recieved a nomination for best album, and 8x platinum plaque for my contribution in recording Balvin vocals on "Peligrosa". Another project I was proud to work on was Tech N9ne recent album called "Asin9ne". I got to produce two songs on the album and recorded the hooks for the songs "I Been Thru a Lot" and "Close Your Eyes".

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm working on a few projects I can't disclose at the moment. Once they get released, I will share it in the news.

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

A: I recommend Stige if you're looking for one of the best song writers and artists out there. He's professional and is a beast with the pen. Quick turn around. His hooks are incredible. He can work on many different generes.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I say both. Analog to record in. Digital when it comes to mixing in the box. That way you can pull up the mix anywhere you go. You don't have to recall a console.

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

A: To give it my all and to make them sound the best that I can. I take pride in my work and I always want to keep the client happy.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: My passion to making music.

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

A: How long have you been doing this for? Who have you worked with? How long will it take? I have been doing this for 16 years. I have worked with Rick Ross, J Balvin, Tech N9ne, etc. It will take 2-3 business days, but it depends on the workload.

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

A: That I only specialize in urban music. I like to work on all different genres.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: If they have any references of what they want it to sound like, or what exactly are they looking for? Also, what direction do they want to take the song?

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

A: Please have all stems named and starting at the right time. Consolidate the stems so they all have the same length. If its a Pro Tools session I recommend to do a save copy in to make sure its not missing any files. After one or two songs, you start to get a feel of what the client loves and don't like. First job is always getting to learn the artist. I take notes and direction well and incorporate it in the end result. I want you to be happy with the mix or production.

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

A: Macbook Pro with all my DAW and plugins, RME UFX Interface, Akai MPk49, two KRK V8 with the S8 Sub, and my Moog Grandmother.

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

A: I started off as a dj. I was djing clubs in high school and battling. Once I graduated, I started to produce. I had a rap crew and we didn't have an engineer. I decided to learn how to record and mix so we wouldn't have to pay someone to do it. It paid off in the long run, bc it became my career. I love it now. I have been producing and engineering for 16 years now.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I would say its a melting pot of a lot of different genres and cultures. I'm Cuban so I like to bring some latin vibes to my songs mixed with Hiphop. I grew up listening to hiphop in the 90s so I'm heavily influenced by the culture.

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

A: Andre 3k, Jay Z, Nas, Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Drake, Travis Scott, Anderson Paak, Bruno Mars, Post Malone, etc. They're the artists I have listened to the most the past 10 years.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Always trust your gut, and you will never stop learning. You learn something new everyday.

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

A: I mostly work on Hiphop/Trap and RnB. Lately I have been working on a lot of Afrobeats, Dancehall, and Reggaeton. I don't like to stick to just one genre.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: For engineering tracking vocals, comping vocals, and mixing. For production I would say my drum programming, 808s, chopping samples, playing keys/synths on top of tracks. For Djing would be my scratching.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I love to bring the song to life. I also like to bring some originality and feeling to the song. The vibe has to be right. I love to make it sound exciting.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: For production I have a production team. We cover a lot of live instruments that we incorportate with programming. Its the best of both worlds. We love to start with a melody first and then program drums, 808s, keys/synths, etc. For engineering it depends if I'm mixing a full stem mix or just mixing vocals. If its a full stem mix, I love to start with the drums following with the bass/808s. Get the rhythm section of the song to hit hard and sound right. Then ill mix all the instruments and spend the most time on the vocals.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work out of two recording studios in Miami, FL called Studio 26 and Rebel 11 Studios. They're top of the art studios with SSL and API consoles. I also have a setup at my house where I produce and mix songs. I have a Macbook Pro with an RME UFX Interface. Neve Portico 5012 Preamp, LA3A compressor, Beesneez James mic, two KRK V8 monitors, KRK S8 Sub, two Yamaha NS10s, Brynston 4BST amp, Avantone Mix Cube, Moog Grandmother, Behringer Model D, Roland V Synth, Akai MPK49, two Technics 1200s, and a Rane TTM57sl. I use Protools Ultimate to record, mix, and master. I use Ableton Live 10 to produce and compose music. I have Waves Complete, Antares Autotune Pro, Antares Harmony Engine, Melodyne Studio 4, Plugin Aliance Mix and Master bundle, Slate Digital Complete, Soundtoys complete, Fabfilter complete, etc.

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

A: The producers that inspired me to make music was Dj Premier, Timbaland, Pete Rock, RZA, Neptunes, Dr Dre, Just Blaze, and Kanye. Some of the current producers that inspire me right now are Boi-1da, Hit-Boy, Mike Dean, Dj Dahi, Mike WiLL Made-It, etc. For mix engineering I would have to say Andrew Scheps, Jaycen Joshua, Dave Pensado, Mike Dean, and Jimmy Douglas.

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

A: I produce, record, mix, and master songs. I also vocal comp and tune vocals. I can also do dj scratches on a chorus.