Mixing & Mastering Engineer

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. I love analog for what it does well and digital for what it does well. I’ve never understood turning it into a religion. If an analog piece makes the record better, I use it. If a plugin gets me there faster or sounds better for that job, I use that. The listener doesn’t care what made the record sound good.

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

A: That mixing is mainly about making things sound “better.” A great mix is about priorities. What should feel big, what should feel intimate, where the listener’s attention should go, and how the record should move emotionally. The technical part exists to serve those decisions.

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

A: Don’t choose an engineer based only on credits or gear. Listen to their work. Find someone whose taste you trust and whose records consistently sound the way you want yours to feel. You’re hiring their decisions as much as their technical ability.

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

A: Mostly Pop, EDM, Hip-Hop, Latin and Dancehall/Reggae, but after more than two decades of mixing records I’ve worked across a pretty wide range of music. I’m not particularly interested in being limited by genre, if the production is strong and there’s something exciting about the record, I’m interested.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Knowing what a record needs. Technique is important, but the real skill is making the right decisions for the song.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Perspective. After more than two decades of doing this, I can usually hear pretty quickly what a record needs, and just as importantly, what it doesn’t need. My job is to bring out what is already great about the production, create impact and clarity, and know when to stop.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Before I touch anything, I listen. I want to understand what the artist or producer is trying to accomplish, what already works, and what is getting in the way. Then I build the mix around the song rather than around a template. Once I send the first version, I want honest feedback. If something needs changing, we change it. The process is finished when everyone is excited about the record.

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

A: Most of my work is mixing and mastering finished productions. I usually receive multitracks from an artist or producer and take the record through the final creative and technical stages until it’s ready for release. I also do mastering and stem mastering for clients who already have a finished mix.