Mixing and Mastering Engineer

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

A: There was a project earlier on in my engineering career that really forced me to step outside my comfort zone. It was a solo album by a local artist that incorporated a ton of different styles, from songs that were smooth jazz to post-hardcore, acoustic, electronic based, power pop...it was a real challenge to get everything to sound cohesive and I am proud that I had achieved it. It helped me to grow in a huge way. I was the engineer, mix engineer and mastering engineer for this project.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I have a small handful of projects from some local artists, along with starting tracking on a few of my own.

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

A: I do not know anyone on SoundBetter.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I used to say analog, as I cut my teeth on old tascam 8 track recorders, but I do think that we're in such a place that digital has come so far.. I would say both. With tools like the SSL-UC1, for example, you get the feel and response of analog with the clean nature of digital...it's a great time to be doing this.

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

A: I promise to deliver a product that you are proud of.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love helping people realize their dreams; it's extremely rewarding to give them something that they're proud to call their own.

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

A: There are no questions that I would consider common, everything is usually pertaining to the individual(s) and their project.

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

A: As an audio engineer, I'm not here to write your song for you or record additional instrumentation or make beats... In a producer role, those things are applicable, but if you hire me to mix or master your work, I will assume that the work is entirely completed unless told otherwise.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I ask them what they see for the project, how they envision the outcome, I ask their influences and expectations; my goal is to give them something to cherish and be proud of for the rest of their lives.

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

A: Check out my catalog of work to ensure that I'm the right person for your project.

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

A: Marshall JCM800, Gibson Les Paul, 1073 EQ, a nice LA-2A and a computer!

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

A: I have been playing in bands and touring for years, and starting taking audio engineering seriously around 2012. Since then, I have been getting more and more work to the point that I am able to do this full time.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I go for a very natural style, but my work tends to also have a very "in your face" quality to it; I like things that sound huge.

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

A: There's nobody in particular, but I do love working with artists who have a pure and genuine passion about what they're doing. Those projects are always the most rewarding, even if they are intimidating. They require you to really push yourself.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Trust your instincts! Seems like a simple tip, but it is a valuable one.

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

A: Usually the music I work on is guitar based; ie guitar, bass, drums, vocals, typically Punk, Hardcore, Indie, Metal and Rock.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I would say that my years of experience and the insight that those years grant me would be my strongest skill.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Years and years (18 and counting) of experience playing music and writing songs has given me insight and ability in knowing when enough is enough, or what little tricks might add extra flavor to bring out more potential for the enjoyment of the listener.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When mixing, I find that it is best to make decisions and stick with them, using my instincts over all else and not spending too much time on one specific element, unless it is problematic to the project as a whole. This tends to yield the best result.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: It is a small multi-room home studio setup, with a handful of outboard preamps and compressors, used primarily for tracking.

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

A: I'm influenced and inspired by the work and approach of engineers such as Steve Albini, Kurt Ballou, Will Killingsworth and Andrew Scheps.

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

A: Recording, mixing and mastering work for a variety of styles and genres, usually within the world of rock and guitar based music. Usually this is seeing a project from conception to completion, with each stage of the process getting it's own level of care and attention to detail.