Dolby ATMOS Mixing Engineer

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Analog Summing and 2 Buss processing, Digital processing for surgical tasks, M/S Processing, Stereo imaging, and Linear Phase Processing. Analog for Vibe and color, Digital for carving and maximization.

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

A: I will take your tracks across the finish line and elevate your sound to a new level. I will put my work up against anybody in the business and it will stand up strong side by side. I will do 1 Hour free to show you the direction I am going.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love bringing an artist's vision to life through the art of mixing and mastering. There is no better feeling than hearing" WOW! You made it sound exactly how I wanted it to without me saying anything!"

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

A: It is an industry joke, but mostly it is "how much do you charge for a mix and master"? To which I reply, What is your budget? I have scared away potential customers because I tell them what my standard rate is, but you have to say something right? It is each to satisfy cheap, but its something else to satisfy expensive. I never let the price of something change the quality I deliver. If you pay me $1,500 a song or $350 a song, I still put 100% into it. The only thing I tend to restrict is the number of changes. If you are paying me my full rate, I will work on it till you are happy. If I am providing you a discount, I usually limited the rounds of changes to 1 or 2.

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

A: That I can fix a bad mix with mastering. While this sometimes can work, most of the time it does not. The most important thing is to gain staging in a mix. I can get my tracks to be commercial loud without using a limiter because I know how to maximize each individual element properly, and sum them together in a way so that the level is hot going into the A-D converter. For an artist that insists on mixing their own tracks, I suggest them bouncing out stems and letting me do a Stem Mastered version. This allows me some flexibility over the individual balance of the track before I do any 2 Buss processing.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: #1. What is your budget #2. What is your timeline? #3. What inspired you to make these songs? #4. What reference tracks do you want your mix to sound like? #5. How many tracks are in your song? #6. Are your Tracks Ready to Mix?

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

A: This industry is a numbers game. Do not get attached to 1 song or 1 sound. Do your best, know when you are beating a dead horse, and keep it pushin'. Spend most of your budget on your personal image and marketing. Set aside a realistic budget to get your tracks mixed and mastered. Always let your mixer know your budget ahead of time and ask them what they can provide for you. I have a standard rate that I feel my product is worth, but I ALWAYS work within the artist budget to help them achieve their goals. I rather charge them less, and have them get the result they want the first time, vs wasting their time and money on someone who is just looking for a paycheck, leaving the artist disappointed and still needing to finish their project the way they want it to be.

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

A: Telefunken 251E, Neve 1073, Tube Tech CL-1 B, NS-10s, Laptop with Waves Mercury Bundle.

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

A: I have done this professionally for 12 years. After working behind the scenes with some of the biggest names in the industry for over a decade in LA, I am looking to establish myself as one of the go-to-mixers for the next generation of artists in Music City, Nashville, while continuing to work closely with major labels and publishers on commercial releases.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Aggressive, clear and punchy. I put the listener inside of the song. I try to find the point where things get to be too much, and back it down just enough so it is living on the edge. I want the drums to jump out of the speakers, but the vocals are buttery smooth, with a depth that allows you to hear through the mix. It is a very 3D experience.

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

A: I would love to work with ZEDD. His production and masters are so thought out and balanced.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Take away the bad stuff before adding anything! I try to eliminate all the "junk" that is not adding to the main source of the signal. Lots of Hi-pass filtering on almost everything. Gain Stage! I maximize my input and output gain to drive level into my dynamics processors.

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

A: I primarily produce pop/EDM/hip-hop/trap music. My mixing clientele is mostly Pop/EDM/Trap music seconded by indie pop/rock music. I have been told I have a signature sound. Artists that are eclectic and have a unique sound gravitate toward what I do because of my aggressive, clear and punchy sound that makes the mix stand out from the pack.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My ability to hear the song as the artist intended it to be without them having to tell me. It's like a 6th sense. I let the song speak to me and guide me in the direction it needs to go. From a technical standpoint, I excelled in maximize gain staging, creating depth with stereo imaging processing and M/S eq, while being able to get it LOUD without killing the original dynamics.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring an extra level of creativity to overall picture of the song. Is what I am doing adding to the big picture? Or is it changing the original feel the artist had intended? My approach is simple; DO NOT F**K it up! Make it sound "right". Give it what it needs first, then, if I think I can that extra little something that can take it to the next level, I make it happen!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I start with gain staging. I get all my levels optimized to drive my summing mixer and 2 Buss efficiently. Once I have my level balance, I try to create as much space as possible with subtractive EQ first, stereo imaging processing, then additive EQ. I constantly cross-reference my tracks with similar-sounding tracks to make sure I am on par.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have access to a few different studios including an SSL 6056E with ATC and Augspurger Mains and subs. My everyday driver is a Pro Tools HDX setup integrated with WAVES Soundgride Technology, a custom 16-Channel Analog Summing bus with a BAE 1073 gain stage, Nightpro EQ 3D and SSL Buss Compressor as my 2-Buss Processing. I have a full range of Plugin bundles including Fab Filter, Waves, Sony Oxford, Brainworxs, Izotpe and more. I have an; Audio Liner Passive Monitor controller with PCM TwoTwo 8's, Yamaha NS-10's with a Byrston 3B amp, Dual 10" subwoofers, HD 650 Headphones, and Yahama Mini speakers for desktop reference.

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

A: I have a wide range: Anywhere from Prince, Phill Collins, and 80's music, to 90's hip hop, Pop-Punk, EMO, all the way to modern production like Skrillex, Lido, Diplo, and ZEDD.

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

A: I help the artist take their vision across the finish line by being the last stage in the creative process. I have been told I have the ability to make their tracks sound like they hear it in their heads :) This is mostly done through mixing, stem mastering, and mastering.