Mix & Mastering, Production

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

A: As a Mixing and Mastering Engineer: Midas VeniceF32, As a Producer/Artist: AKAI MPC2000xl, Technics 1200 Turntable with Allen & Heath DJ Mixer (hopefully there are records on this Island!), Arturia Microfreak, Nord Lead, Korg Minilouge.

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 many things. In my solo career, I'm proud of my last album, Only Child which was produced by Messiah Musik. For production and my creative output I'm proud of Guillotine Crowns' Hills to Die On album. I'm super proud that I got to make White Horse with my friend Gajah (R.I.P.). I'm also proud of mixing on classic records like Cannibal Ox' The Cold Vein, EL-P's Fantastic Damage and Aesop Rock's Bazooka Tooth.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am completing the production of a full length album from Guilty Simpson.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: It's both. I think in this day and age, obviously digital is part of how we make music. I think the key is adding elements of analog to that. Whether it be a vintage keyboard, a mixing board or a rack of outboard gear. Those are the ways I can add an analog touch to a modern production.

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

A: I promise that if I accept your business that I will genuinely care about the outcome of your art.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I still love music, creativity and gear. I love sitting in the studio even after 25 years.

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

A: Can you mix genre x? (Yes, I mix all genres of music) What DAW do you use? (Protools) Do I need to have Protools files? (No) How fast can you get this back to me? (It depends on what you'd like done. An emcee cameo can be done in less then a week, a beat can be made in about 10 days, mixing a full album would take at least 2 months) So it can vary.

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

A: That just because I genuinely enjoy producing, creating and mixing underground hip-hop, that I am limited to that one genre when it comes to professional work.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What's your timeline for requested work? What's your budget? Do you have separated tracks (stems)? (For Mixes) Do you have a concept for your song? (For Emcee Cameos) Can you provide an example of your work? (For Production Requests)

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

A: Feel free to explore my Spotify page: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1TbYB7mUiBiBj4nLWhosGS?si=hO8FGQUtSpeZEC81hMWGqw and my website: https://www.uncommonnasa.com/ You can also do an online search. If I still fit what you were looking for when you found me, reach out, let's work!

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

A: I began at age 17, interning in an East Village recording studio. I was a Recording Engineer at Ozone in Downtown in the late 90's, was the Head Mixing Engineer at Definitive Jux through 2006. I started my own label in 2004 and have mixed, mastered and produced freelance ever since. I've been a part of the independent music business for most of my life. As an artist, I've toured the US and UK, performing in almost every mainland state. I've been featured as an artist in The Village Voice, Wire Magazine, Huffington Post, Lyrical Lemonade, The Needle Drop and more. I have also worked as a radio producer, broadcast engineer and a/v design engineer.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I take raw and sometimes experimental sounds and clean them up without compromising their intent so that they can be enjoyed by a wider audience and can be shown in a professional light when compared to more accessible music.

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

A: There are many, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and Prince come to mind because of the amazing and long standing quality of their mixes and production.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Mixes are built upon three things, Kick/Snare/Vocal. This isn't to say other elements are to be diminished in any way, but everything else falls into place around those core components.

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

A: I work on music from independent musicians on a regular basis, typically those that are looking to push envelopes but also want a quality recording that can be heard and digested by the masses. This is true of my mixing, mastering and production as well as my own musical output.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Experience and comfort level in the recording studio.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I'm professional, timely and experienced and can bring a fresh perspective to your art.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Get the files from the client, preferably bounced down tracks as WAVs or AIFFs that I can then upload to a new Pro Tools session on my end. I then do all the work required, ask for feedback, make any needed changes and upload back to the client via Dropbox, Google Drive or any means the client would like.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I mix with a combination of analog and digital. Tracks are played back via Pro Tools and mixed through an analog Midas Venice F32 board. This gives me access to outboard effects and the latest plug ins as well. The core of my production (whether sample based or not) is my AKAI MPC2000xl and I've surrounded myself with synthesis in the form of a Korg Minilogue, Arturia Microfreak, Ensoniq ESQ1 and I just picked up an original Nord Lead.

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

A: I am a mixing and mastering engineer, music producer, instrumentalist/scorer, beat maker, rapper/artist, audio and podcast editor and an professional a/v engineer and designer.