Audio Engineer / Producer

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

A: A project I am extremely proud of is "4604" by Chxxmpa. I produced, mixed, and mastered the whole record. This project was born from an extreme heartbreak and highlights the roller coaster of emotions that one feels after a devastating break up. Being my first step into a full concept album, Chxxmpa and I made sure to mold the story within the music and provide an emotional art piece rather than just a new album drop. "4604" is out now on all platforms.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am currently working on several singles, as well as releasing my band's debut album. (shameless Snow Farming plug again)

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

A: I do not know anyone on SoundBetter as of right now. I would love to meet more producers, engineers, and artists!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: These days, it honestly doesn't matter. Analog has it's benefits for sure, but digital plugins are getting so good that it's hard to tell the difference anymore.

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

A: I promise I will dedicate as much care and passion to your project as I would my own. I understand your needs as an artist and I am here to fulfill them.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love bringing the songs I work on to life. Songs going from a beautiful idea to a fully-fleshed out work of art is one of the most satisfying feelings on this Earth.

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

A: "Can you make me sound like this person? Can you mimic this type of sound?" Yes I can, but we are trying to create a unique sound for the artist at the end of the day. I usually advise against copying someone's trademark or gimmick, but I will always do what the artist is requesting.

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

A: Engineers are often looked down upon in the music world unless you engineer a #1 hit. We aren't even mentioned at the Grammy's and we even have our own specifically for engineering. Engineers are just as important in the artist because they determine the delivery and packaging of your song. If you receive a car that is busted looking but works on the inside, it's still a drag to look at from an outside perspective. The same goes for an unmixed or unmastered song: if the song isn't cleaned up to sound good, then it will not translate to the listeners.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are YOUR goals to making music? Do you want to be famous? Are you doing this for fun? Are you doing this to spread a message? Either way, IT IS AMAZING that you're making music. However, my advice and direction for the art may change based on what your goals are.

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

A: Does a drumkit count as one piece? Lol 1. Laptop 2. hard drive 3. electronic drum kit 4. interface 5. headphones

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

A: I started playing drums when I was 3 years old, getting my first drum kit at 8. I have loved music ever since, and played drums all the way through school, ranking in the Top 20 Best High School Indoor Drumlines in the entire world at WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. I started producing while in middle school, making EDM music on my own time through a cracked version of FL Studio 11. I kept at it and by the time I was graduating high school, I had made a few albums worth of EDM music, had worked with at least 10 music artists in the area, and had developed a unique style with my productions. Around this time, I started taking audio engineering and mastering seriously and have been on the production, mixing, mastering grind ever since.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is anywhere from evil and demonic, to heavenly and ethereal. I pride myself in having different moods for all of my productions. I am down to work with any genre of music and love new experiences.

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

A: I would love to work with any artist that is truly passionate about their craft, as cheesy as it sounds. I just believe it makes truly different music when a person truly feels their music from within.

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

A: I usually work on hip hop and trap music, but I have been diving much more into pop and electronic music as well as indie pop. I love the new sound of a lot of pop songs and want to include this type of music in portfolio. I have also produced, mixed and mastered one of my band's debut albums. (Snow Farming on all music platforms!)

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is that I am also a musician and drummer, clocking in about 24 years of drum and percussion experience (I'm 27). I am completely in tune with rhythm as well as melody, not worrying as much about numbers and the technical side of the project. In other words, I am able to use my ears and emotion to guide the track rather than relying on what "should" work.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I feel that I bring a certain aura and organic energy to a song that a lot of engineers fail to achieve. I also bring "color" to any mix as I focus intensely on the energy and presence in the mid-range, an area that is often overlooked in mixing relative to high and low end. I also strive to be a trend-setter, using sounds and techniques that people do not often use commercially while still maintaining mainstream relevancy.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: If I am working with a client, I love to start the session with a small conversation and maybe some refreshments. Also, you get to meet my dog, Charlie, if you like pups. As we move into the music portion of the work, I first prefer to hear references of music that either fits the vibe of what the artist is wanting to make or is something that the artist likes in general. This helps me understand the vibe of the music being created and also helps me understand the personality of the client which I feel is important to understand how the music translates to them. (This also can all be done over video chat if location is an issue.) As we begin to work, I'm carefully tuned in to the artists tendencies and needs in order to accommodate for the record as much as possible. I also like to give feedback that I feel is needed to make the art become the closest it can become to the artists' vision. At the end of the process, either a finished project or work-in-progress will be rendered and given to the client for their use via any format they desire. As you can see, I love working one-on-one with artists. However, I function just as well under remote work with emails or DM's. If you want to work remotely, the process is pretty similar other than the one-on-one part. (However, I am completely open to doing video chat/live streaming for sessions and would even prefer it if you're not completely sure what you're going for). I will ask for references of what the artist likes/want to sound like as well as ask a little bit about you and your background just so I can get to know you a little bit. As we work, we will just transfer files and remain in close contact through DMs or email as the project is being tuned and tweaked to perfection with revisions from the artist. I will then send you all of the files you have purchased and our transaction will be complete!

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: STUDIO A (BANG FOR BUCK): dontpanic. Studio (Saginaw, TX) is a home studio placed in NW Fort Worth, ready to accommodate any artists needs for recording vocals, producing a record, or mixing and mastering. Equipped with an assortment of microphone options running through a Focusrite Clarett+ 8Pre as well some of the highest-grade analog simulation from Arturia and UAD. This studio is equipped to sound equivalent to a professional-grade studio while maintaining a slightly lower price range. STUDIO B (PREMIUM): The Cabin Recording Studio (Azle, TX) is a Grammy award-winning recording studio nestled in the countryside of West Fort Worth, providing all the professional bells and whistles of recording live instruments, having real analog equipment dating back to the 80's, as well as a large live room for recording the in-house Yamaha Grand Piano as well as the Premier Vintage Drumkit. Equipped with microphones from Neumann, AKG, and other high-end brands as well as analog preamps/effects from Manley, API, Warm Audio, EL8 (Distressor), Eventide, and more.

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

A: Of course I have my drummer idols such as Tommy Lee, Matt Gartska, Spud, Buddy Rich, Louis Cole... but many of the engineers and producers that inspire me are Kato on the Track, mixedbyali, Kenny Beats, Dylan Brady, Rick Rubin, Chris Lord-Alge, Chris Ellis, Jeff Ellis, Dave Pensado, and more.

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

A: The most common type of work I do is typically recording vocals in my home studio or recording anything else at The Cabin, producing records from scratch with clients, mixing work that either me or someone else has produced, and mastering work that I either or someone else has produced. I have also done live drum work for many artists and program drums as well.

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

A: Always look for somebody who has the same purpose and struggles as you as an artist, whether it be creatively or having to do with life. If you can connect as people, it's more than likely that you will work great together.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Do what sounds good to you, period. Not everybody has a perfectly clean and punchy sound, but this can create character and a unique tone if done correctly. If you like the sound, you will learn how to make it translate with time and practice.