Mixing and Mastering

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I am also a lifelong musician. I was born and raised in a musical family, and have played the guitar for twelve years. I understand music theory, have been in multiple bands, played gigs, and spent tens of thousands of hours listening to great music. I know how to communicate with musicians, help bring their ideas to life, and maintain the musical integrity of a song. I believe a balanced and clear mix is the best way to bring a song to life and work based on this convinction; I don't add unecessary effects just for the sake of it or by habit, and every decision I make is well-considered. I am a minimalist by nature.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Never do things 'just because'. Every decision should have a reason behind it. If it ain't broken don't fix it.

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

A: I have the most experience in non-electronic genres such as Soul, Funk, Folk, and R&B, and am very familiar with both live and studio recordings in these genres. I love anything which has soul and groove, and especially music which is uplifting.

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

A: I recently worked with the exceptionally talented opera singer Yihui Wang to produce six live recordings accompanied by piano in three different venues. I was in charge of mixing and mastering as well as securing venues, equipment, and ensuring communication between the members in our team. Although opera is not my specialty, the project was a great success and the artist was very happy with the finished result. You can view it here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn_bo16uwO_IlOT23BnXfj4zhSd5to4Wr

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

A: I want to work with an artist who has a positive outlook on life and wants to use their talents to make the world a better place. I appreciate an artist who maintains a certain level of professionalism; somebody with a clear vision of what they want and that is able to communicate that effectively to me.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work entirely in the box and like to keep things simple, organized, and efficient. I have $3,000-$4,000 worth of high quality software and have spent countless hours using it. I mix using a pair of Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro studio headphones with a flat EQ applied by Sonarworks Reference 4, which allows me to achieve a tonal balance that will translate to the largest number of systems possible.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I don't think it matters all that much. Of course gear is important, but when we are comparing high quality digital and high quality analog equipment, the effectiveness of the final mix really comes down to the person in charge and the decisions they make.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I start by organizing the files on my PC and importing them into my DAW. I spend some time listening to the mix and making some minor adjustments so I can get a better idea of what the song needs. After that I set up my groups, subgroups, and routing system for the session and begin tackling problems one by one. This usually means fixing phase issues, resonant frequencies, adjusting tonal balances, and controlling dynamics. After this point I will move on to the more creative aspects of mixing such as adding effects (reverb, delay, saturation, etc) if needed and finish the project inside WaveLab where I make overall spectral and loudness adjustments. I like to work on a song for 2-3 days as coming back to a project after a nights rest with a fresh perspective often helps me make the most beneficial alterations. All my projects are automatically backed up to a password protected OneDrive folder on my computer, which ensures that things are always kept safe on my end. I also work in the original bit rate and bit depth of the recordings you send me to maintain the highest level of quality.

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

A: I love music that really gets to the root of a particular emotion or mood, whether that be love, sentimentality, excitement, vexation, or regret. I have a wide-ranging taste that spans from classical and world music all the way to heavy metal and hip-hop, but I tend to resonate the most with genres such as soul, funk, gospel, R&B, soft rock, and folk. Examples include The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Michael McDonald, The Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, Jim Croce, John Mayer, Ray Charles, Crossby Stills & Nash, and Average White Band.