Mixing & Mastering Engineer

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

A: My favorite project I have worked on was for the recording artist The Wicked Saint and his song "Lord of Silence." I was the assistant mix engineer and I firmly believe "Lord of Silence" is the kind of lightning in a bottle you only capture once.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: At the moment I am working on my own music to sharpen my skills as a mixing and mastering engineer. You can check out my music on YouTube, Spotify, SoundCloud, Etc. Under the alias DavisK

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

A: Not at this time.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I would argue both. I believe analog is excellent to obtain that older warmer sound that comes with circuits and old electrics, however, digital is also useful in the modern world for bypassing some of the limitations of analog equipment and allowing for the creation of truly unique effects and mixes.

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

A: I promise to get you what you want and nothing less. I will not try to change your project and I will not fight you on revisions. I am here to get you what you want as efficiently as possible.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love shaping sound. Blending instruments together and hearing that moment where everything clicks into place. That Ah-ha moment when you crack a particularly difficult mix and it gains that commercial polish everybody craves.

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

A: The biggest misconception about what I do is that it is the easiest step of the process and therefore should take the shortest time. A week turn-around may seem long to some, however, the last thing I want is for your project, your magnum opus to sound worse because I didn't test something. I need the time required to ensure your release is right the first time so you have no regrets!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Do you have a reference track? Do you need this by a specific day? What other details should I know about this project?

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

A: Please be as specific as possible with me about what you want. I value clear and concise communication! If you have a reference track, send it the first time, if there's a specific style you want me to emulate, tell me upfront. I am here to help you sound your best! I can't do that if you do not tell me what you want.

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

A: ModX Keyboard, Mac Book Pro, Mouse, Drum Kit, SM7B.

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

A: I began tinkering with DAWs and audio in general back in 2012, I wasn't very good but was I determined to improve. From 2012 - 2019, I pursued music creation, mixing, and mastering with a passion. There were many ups and downs, but eventually I decided music and audio was the field I wanted to dedicate my life to. I decided to attend Full Sail University in 2020. I attended Full Sail from 2021 - 2023 and obtained a Bachelor's degree in Music Production/Audio Engineering. While attending classes I collaborated with several artists and help elevate their music and mixes before finally graduating in June of 2023.

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

A: I would adore the chance to work with Porter Robinson. I love the way he writes his music and even moreso the feeling his music invokes in the listener. It's like a warm hug that is sung to you.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't overthink it. Less is more.

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

A: I specialize in EDM mixing. Specifically Future Bass, Melodic Bass, Trap, DnB, Liquid DnB, Bass House, Progressive House, and Complextro.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is gain staging and EQ'ing. I like to focus on the volume balance between all instruments in a mix and then the tonal balance of each individual track. I remove any problematic or piercing frequencies and shape the sound to maximize the harmonic content and sonic quality.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring clarity, harmonic complexity, and polish to the best of my abilities.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: First, I set the volume of each individual track so that everything sits nicely. I then begin EQing and Compressing the instruments. I carve out space and add harmonics to create a rich atmosphere of sounds and tonal complexity. After this, I add effects, chorus, reverb, delays, etc. To enhance the stereo image of the work. Finally, I run translation tests. Starting with the Car, then Headphones, Then the TV, and a myriad of other systems. If at any point the mix loses clarity, punch, stereo image, or quality, I revisit the previous steps and run the translation test again. I continue this process until the mix sounds excellent on all devices before packaging the final deliverable and sending it off to the client.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: 3.5 Eris Speakers SoundID Virtual Mix Rack (Slate)

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

A: Porter Robinson, Virtual Riot, Illenium, and SLANDER really inspire me with their ability to make massive layers of music sound uniform and clear. I am to achieve the same level of clarity as they do.

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

A: The most common work I do is mixing and mastering music. I test translation and make sure all the instrumentals blend together well and have a commercial sheen sonically.