Music Producer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: A short-film OST, a couple of singles from Boren, Sybille's On Jupiter, and my own music.

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

A: Victor Ayuso (https://soundbetter.com/profiles/514096-v%C3%ADctor-ayuso). Great electronic music producer, Mixer and Mastering Engineer. Also María Gomez (AKA ROJAZ - https://soundbetter.com/profiles/390181-maria-gomez). A very creative artist with great songwriting skills.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! Digital: cheap, easy and practical. Analog: warm, unique and physical.

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

A: Good & Fast results.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Every single person has a different point of view or approach to the same problems, and that's amazing. My job is all about people.

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

A: All sorts of things with all sorts of answers really.

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

A: The typical questions I get from miss-informed people: - "Did you make this song?" (as if "making a song" was only 1 process) - "Is this song yours?" (I produced it and maybe ever created it, but it's technically not mine) - "What exactly does a Music Producer do? Do you record the songs?"

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Mentioned it before!

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

A: Go for it with no hesitation. There are many professionals around the world, and SoundBetter is one of the best places where to find cheap but high-quality solutions!

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

A: 3 instruments, a condenser mic and my macbook: - Full drumkit - Electric guitar - Midi keyboard P.S: I had a horrible time deciding wether bass+keys / guitar+keys, but it's easier to create bass lines with the keyboard than guitar lines... I'd still miss my bass.

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

A: I've been making music since I was 14. As almost all of us, I started playing with some friends and had a cover band. After many years, I started my first own music band, "Beta", and made music for more than 2 years. I found myself stuck so I left it and joined Ciao Marina, and it was a complete change in style (from alternative and complex rock, to pop). With them, at 2020, I had the opportunity to work with Dan Hammond, an amazing urban pop producer in Spain, and through him I discovered the "Music Producer" role, and I just fell in love. I left Ciao Marina in 2021 to start producing other artists, and this is what I want to do until the very end of my life. I also work as a live musician (playing drums, guitars, keys or bass) with other artists, such as The Boy From The South or Joanna Crass.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Personal and agressive. I love changes in dynamics & intensities.

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

A: C Tangana. His way of creating new classics with the perfect mix of spanish folk and urban music is amazing. I also love his producer Alizzz, one of my biggest influences!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Keep it simple and work on hooks. Ear candy is a must!

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

A: Indie, Pop & Alternative Rock.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Music style flexibility and creative arrangements.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Creative arrangements and light. I always try to unlock its commercial potential while keeping in mind the artist's vision and signature.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When producing: selecting the best ideas from the artists, working on the weak points they have, discussing about the arrangement styles we'd like to adopt (also try some demos), and get to work with the rest! I am able to record almost anything in my studio, from backing vocals, to keys, pianos, guitars, bass... So you can count on me as a studio musician too. For drums recording, I ask for an extra 100$. When mixing: I normally ask for reference tracks and the song elements' hierarchy, so I get the idea that the artist has on the mixing approach. This avoids double-work and time-wasting, and assures the result we all want. When mastering: I apply a similar method when mastering: elements hierarchy and overall view on strength, dynamics and frequency spectrum. When bass-arranging in other's artists songs: I just let myself create and present 2 or 3 different approaches on the songs, so the artist can visualize different points of view.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I normally do 70-80% of the job at my home setup, in which I have the equipment I mentioned and I can work for hours long without incurring any extra prices. Later, I always do the other 20-30% of the work at Ophiura Studio, in Barcelona, check and double-check my mixes and masters. Ophiura Studio is a professional soundproof studio with high quality gear and soundsystem.