Josh Hugo on SoundBetter

Professional mixing and mastering for your music. I specialize in the ability to create a sonic landscape within a song - to translate the music into an exciting and pleasurable listening experience. I charge low in order to build my reputation here. You can expect quality work that will match what you hear from your favorite artists.

I am a professional recording, mixing, and mastering engineer based in Austin, Texas. I have 11 years of experience working by myself and with others on various projects around the country, and would be happy to share my expertise with you.

When I'm not in the studio, I'm doing research on the latest recording gear/technology and honing my ears for the next project. Music and production are more than just jobs to me - I'm obsessed with making every aspect of my work sound as good as it possibly can. This will only improve the quality of what you receive from me.

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

Credits

6 Reviews - 2 Repeat Clients

Endorse Josh Hugo

by Ty C.
Verified
I'm convinced that Josh is secretly a wizard with access to real-life magic beyond my comprehension, his work is absolutely incredible!

I wasn't sure what to expect when hiring a professional mixer for the first time, but he surpassed all possible expectations and helped mix my song cover into the best possible outcome, regardless of how bizarre or rough-sounding my vocals were. I cannot recommend Josh enough, hiring him is a really great decision!!
by Darrel M.
Verified
Another 5 star review for Josh. He mastered the 6 tracks of my Utopia Station album in a balanced and timely way. When I put in requests for changes on 3 tracks - lessen stereo spread, add bass, and wrestle with a French horn that had been mixed too far forward - he got to work, and produced a very satisfying result.
by Darrel M.
Verified
As with my previous project, Josh proved himself to be a high quality mastering engineer with a very quick turnaround. My track was a trailer for a Korean horror movie. Josh managed to keep the sounds punchy and a little wild, while at the same time reining everything in in the right places. Great job Josh!
by Darrel M.
Verified
Because of some tweaks I needed to make, this was Josh's second mastering session for The Art of Flying, and as before Josh was prompt, eager to communicate and he obviously has a good balance of the technical side of things, and the artistic. The resulting mix was polished and immersive.
by Darrel M.
Verified
Josh Hugo did a great job with my ambient track. He polished the sound, and somehow wove all of the components together to give it a professionalism and musicality that was not there before. I highly recommend this talented mastering engineer.
by Troy M.
Verified
Josh is a high quality mix and mastering pro. He truly care about his craft and also about your project. He made sure I was happy at the end and I am. Great communication all around great experience I will be using again!!!

Interview with Josh Hugo

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started as a 16-year-old guitarist in his bedroom looking to recreate what he had in his head, and I've been chasing that ideal since then.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Big, modern, and punchy are my favorite adjectives to use when describing one of my mixes.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I have my list of celebrities that I'd love to work with, but I always find myself wanting to work with my closest friends the most because I have a deeper connection to them and the music they create.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Everyone says "use your ears", which is a fair and valid point, but I think the best thing you can do is actively think about what makes a track interesting in the first place and how it should be presented to the listener. Active critical thinking is what makes the difference between an amateur and a professional in the music production world.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I usually work on either pop/RnB or rock/metal. I find that when it comes to the hits you hear on the radio, they have more in common than you'd think!
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill is the way I use my ears. I have perfect pitch, and when it comes to highlighting the best parts of a song, I use that to figure out the way any given sound should hit the ear tonally and dynamically, and then craft the rest of the mix around it.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring my sense of musical intuition and tonal taste to a song. I'm a musician as well, and have a keen ear for what the interesting parts of a track are - I use those skills to identify and highlight the best aspects of a song.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Balancing, problem identification, problem solving, balancing, problem identification, problem solving, etc...
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I run a hybrid setup with Logic. I have an SSL Fusion and G bus compressor that I strap across my mixbus 95% of the time, and I usually leave them in the same settings so recall isn't an issue. Everything digital is controlled with a Presonus Faderport so I can work quickly and control multiple aspects of a mix at the same time, which makes automation super easy. Everything is powered by Universal Audio interfaces and comes out of a pair of ADAM Audio 8-inch speakers, and when I want to hear what the mix sounds like on a consumer setup, I have a Roland acoustic amplifier set up on a switchable output.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Anything that sounds good inspires me! Good tone is found everywhere, and I take inspiration from every corner of the music world from vintage records/methods to modern production workflows.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I'm best known as a mix engineer. I really enjoy putting the faders up and creatively solving problems in a mix while also adding to the vibe of a track.