Mixing/Mastering & Producing

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

A: During the pandemic, I created a song called “Energy”. I produced the entire track. The only thing I didn’t do was write my brother’s verse. This song has reached many people and I was personally thanked by a few people who love my music. They told me that song changed their life and they can’t go a day without listening to it at least twice a morning.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: At the moment I’m just working on getting my instrumental catalogue up so I could sell more beats. I’m also producing a 9 song EP for a close friend.

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

A: I’m fairly new to this whole online servicing thing, so I don’t really know anyone on soundbetter. Would love to meet new people though.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog! Well analog gives you more of that natural feel. We don’t always want that stuff, stern EQ or Comp. We want the real raw sound!

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

A: My promise is to provide a great experience with great energy and build a great relationship with each and every one of my clients. We are all special in our field of expertise, so why not treat each other like it?

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love everything about my job. I love when my clients receive their mixes and are completely dumbfounded by the transformation.

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

A: The most common question I get is “how soon can it be done?” My answer is always the same: I can have it done tomorrow, but mixes are never finished…ever.

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

A: Some folks just don’t understand the difference between and engineer and a producer. Since I do both, I don’t have many misconceptions, but if I did it would be when I’m engineering and someone says I’m producing.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are your plans with this mix? How far do you see or want this project going? Is there a chance this will get placed in a film?

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

A: My advice to any customer would be “don’t knock it til you try it.”

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

A: If I was on a desert island the first piece of gear I’d take is my mini fridge. It’s PACKED with water. Second thing I’d take is my Max Mini with my screen. Third I would take is my mpc. Since it’s standalone, I would just need my speakers. Fourth thing I’d take is my microphone, because my ideas won’t stop. The last thing I’d take is my guitar. I’m still learning how to play, but I’m sure I’d have plenty of quiet time to learn.

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

A: In 2015 I selected a career path of being in the IATSE union. I began my sound journey as an assistant sound engineer, running cables and setting up equipment for the room operators. I had done this until about 2018. I learned on Midas M32s, X32s and CL5s. Independently, I’ve worked on Yamahas and SSL 9000s. To this day, I’m still learning, but I’m now on my career path within my union and able to say I’m operating my own rooms now and I have my own assistants setting my room up for me.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My type of style is unique compared to any engineer. I have techniques that I have learned from being in complex situations where I ran out of options I’d normally choose from. It forced me to step out of my comfort zone. I’d say my style is eclectic.

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

A: If I could ever work with them, I would love to work with Ab-Soul. I feel like he would have a lot of insight on how to keep pushing myself to get better. To have one of my favorite artists in the same studio as me would make me feel like I made it to a new level of success!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: The biggest tip I always remind myself is: If you’re truly passionate about music, procrastination isn’t real. GO MAKE MUSIC

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

A: I usually work on r&b or hip hop. I have done country, reggae, indie-pop, house and Latin music. I couldn’t choose a favorite because I love them all!

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Knowing what to do and listen for if mix needs to be fixed.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Turning any song into a professional quality hit! Once you show your track to anyone, they’ll ask you “who mixed this?”

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: The first thing I like to do is listen. I won’t know what I’m dealing with unless I listen! I will start to analyze what sounds good and what needs to be done to make it sound like a hit song. I’d play with the instrumentation for different sounds in certain sections if I notice the beat is too repetitive. As far as vocals go, I’ll do a rough mix on them to get an idea of how well they’ll blend together with the instrumental. I adjust as needed. Once I’ve got an edit ready, I’ll begin to check what frequencies are lacking and adjust them accordingly for a clear mix balance. Once I complete the mixing process I convert my first draft into a stereo track to begin the mastering process.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work out of a couple of studios, but since I have 3 demanding kids, I mostly work out of home. I have a room dedicated to the vibe. I put LED lights up and whenever I hit the play button, the lights change colors. I put up a bunch of pictures to stay inspired to be creative. When I’m in producer mode, I’ll pull out my mpc or just use my komplete kontrol keyboard, but I love both. I use 2 MAudio BX8s, a couple of 5” Mackies and a Mackie sub to catch all frequencies. For a faster workflow, I have dual screens, one above me and one below me. It aids in efficiency to ensure a short turnaround

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

A: I’m inspired by true musicians that are able to play their instruments and use their vocals. I’ve encountered a lot of CRAZY talented people in my line of work and they have all inspired me tremendously. Some of them are engineers, others are just musicians. We all had the same thing in common; we love music!

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

A: The most common type of work I do now is live sound. I’m a full-time live sound engineer at the Jonas Brothers’ restaurant inside the MGM Grand. The expectation from me is held at a high standard, so I hold myself at a higher standard for my personal competition.