Audio Engineer, Music Producer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: For the most part, working on expanding my client pool and keeping my current clients as thrilled with my work as possible!

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

A: I think perhaps the biggest misconception towards what I do personally is that I am only working on beats or music tracks. I have done plenty of audio work regarding films, podcasts, and other foley/sound design as well!

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

A: I don't know any of the professionals on SoundBetter personally, however I would recommend all of them wholeheartedly! SoundBetter is quite selective with their providers to ensure quality!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Why not a blend of both? Thankfully there are many analog synthesizers and audio equipment that have been emulated in digital form and most of them sound almost uncanny to the original hardware! Waves' J37 Tape Emulator or U-he's Diva synthesizer are great examples of this.

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

A: 1. My PC (which thankfully has all of my 200+ plugins already) 2. My headphones 3. My monitors 4. My Behringer audio interface 5. My AKG P220 microphone Quite frankly all I really need!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I would describe my style as being a counter-intuitive blend of "old school" and "new school". For example, with my approach to mixing, mastering, or producing, I primarily work in the digital world using contemporary plugins such as Izotope Ozone 5, but always am trying to make my sound have an analog vibe through plugins like my Waves J37 tape emulator. My tracks always sound like they are recorded on tape!

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

A: It would be a dream come true to work with Nik Roos of the band Noisia who I view as the most talented audio engineer in the world, however I would also love to work with an up-and-coming artist who is still trying to manifest their vision and achieve their sound!

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

A: I have the most experience working on the many different genres of Electronic Dance Music, however I also have experience producing and/or mixing and mastering genres such as Reggae, Hip-Hop/Trap, and all types of Rock.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Because I have the full availability to take projects on at any time (as well as being a bit of a night owl), you can find me working on something audio-related at ANY time of the day or night. This allows me to have very quick turn-around times. As soon as I get the gig, I get to work!

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

A: The most common question I get is: "Can you make me sound like ____?" I always tailor my answer to the artist they want to emulate and I try to describe the mixing and processing approach I would use to achieve that sound.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: - What is your vision for the project? - How do you want the listener to feel? - What kind of turn-around time are you looking for?

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

A: Don't be afraid to ask questions or really go in-depth with describing your vision!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Trust your ears! If it sounds good, it IS good, no matter what creative or unconventional route you take to get there!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: What I love most about my job is the fact that I am genuinely passionate about it and enjoy it very much. I feel I was born with the gift of a good ear and really enjoy putting them to use to help achieve someone's vision.

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

A: I got into the craft of audio engineering when I was 16 years old and have been in love with it ever since. 13 years and going strong! I began working professionally in audio engineering in 2015, up until this point having done the likes of boom operating, foley design, recording, mixing, mastering, and beat/song production.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I believe my strongest skill is the art of mixing and mastering, essentially taking a raw track and making it sound as professionally optimal as possible.

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

A: I'm especially proud of all of the bands and producers I've been able to work with, such as The Streams out of Baltimore, MD. I've had the opportunity to be responsible for recording, mixing, and mastering their music for commercial output!

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

A: My promise is to put every ounce of effort I have into your vision being achieved and your mind being blown!

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: With every song I work on, I try to bring every ounce of expertise and effort I can to make it sound as optimal and alive as possible. I'm a huge nerd with the engineering side of things so I spend an extensive amount of time on this process.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is a fully sound-treated room with 2 KRK Rokit 5 monitors, Sennheiser HD560S headphones, Behringer audio interface, AKG P220 microphone, and a custom built desktop PC with top notch hardware. In terms of software, I use FL Studio as my DAW with over 200 VST plugins I have collected over the years such as Izotope Ozone 5 Mastering Suite, FabFilter complete suite, and Cytomic's The Glue, to name a few.

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

A: My hero in the world of audio is Nik Roos of the band Noisia. In my opinion, he is the most talented audio engineer in the world. I have yet to find anyone with nearly as much skill as Nik especially in mixing and mastering.

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

A: The most common types of work I do for my clients are mixing, mastering, post-processing/editing, and producing original works of music.