Mixing, Vocal Editing

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

A: I'm pretty proud of everything I work on. I guess "Ain't No Peace" because it just came out. I did the mixing for the record as well as some additional production. There were a lot of 2-track beats, and a lot of questionable recordings (that I didn't do, lol). So it was challenging. But because it's sort of meant to sound grungy I just embraced those imperfections and got to make something unique. The title track is a cool example - the vocal recording had a lot of room tone and was kind of thin, so I used distortion to give it body and delays to make the room tone intentional - and the result feels like it's being performed out on the streets at a march. I love that shit.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I just wrapped Akon's latest album, "Ain't No Peace" which is a throwback Hip Hop album. I'm now working on some Afrobeats music, just did a Tiwa Savage song. I just finished a weird experimental Pop song called "Hostage" by Elle Lexxa. I'm about to start working with Kon's kids, Jah, Ty, and Mo, as they make music as well. And I'm doing a lot of educational content for TheProAudioFiles.com at the moment.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: The results come down to the person, not the equipment. People only romanticize analog gear because it's expensive and therefore inaccessible. The mysticism wears off after a few years and it becomes no more alluring than a hammer or a drill. I have and use both.

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

A: If you like what you send me, you'll love what I send back.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love the creative process. I get to hear new ideas every day. Opening up a new record to work on is like opening up a birthday present.

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

A: How many revisions do I get? Two. Is editing a separate charge? Yes.

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

A: I think people sometimes see what I do as a purely technical mechanism. But it's not. Mixing records is basically down-stream production. It involves a lot of artistic choices. Every mixer has their own style. It's not that we do everything one way. Some records I do are very dark, some are very bright, some are dry, some are reverby, some are clean and crisp, others are vibey and weird. I really recommend listening to a fair amount of someone's reel because we can only work within the confines of what we want to hear.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I need to know a client's expectation of me. Have you listened to my work? What are you specifically looking for from the record? And, also logistics. What kind of alternate prints are you going to need? What budget and deadline are you working on? Do you need a mastering engineer?

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

A: It's important to have a balance of ideas. You need to be confident enough to know what you are looking for - because it's my job to provide that. But also be confident enough to know that sometimes a change in direction may be necessary based on the recording quality or construction of the record. Clients very often either have no idea what they want, which leaves me in the dark, or they're too married to the demo mix in which case I'm handcuffed to some choices that objectively might not be working. A confident, balanced approach always yields the best results.

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

A: A tent, an ax, a shovel, a rifle w bullets, and a first aid kit. I hope no one is taking audio equipment on a desert island.

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

A: I started making beats when I was in high school. Wasn't long before I was mixing those beats. In college I worked as a sound tech where I would record and mix all of the school concerts. Immediately leaving college I grabbed an internship, then another, then an assistantship, and then became an in-house engineer; and ultimately a freelancer, though I'm kind of an in-house engineer for Akon. I've been doing this for a little over twenty years now, but thirteen years as a full time professional if you are reading this in 2020.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I borrow a lot of my sound ideas from genres like Lo-Fi, Dub, and old school EDM. I love sound design, so the fun of a mix is crafting unique textures, making captivating spaces, and incorporating psychoacoustic principles. Not every mix calls for these things, but there will always be hints of it in everything I do.

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

A: Honestly, the artists that get me excited are the ones who are just getting the ball rolling. I like working with artists who are new, have a strong vision of what they want but are amenable to experimenting a bit. I want to be a part of someone's journey up, where I can be weird and take chances.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Create like there's no "next phase" to the record. Write the song like success is completely dependent on the song itself. Record like there won't be any editing. Arrange and produce like there isn't going to be a mix phase. Mix like there isn't going to be a mastering phase. Get things as perfect as possible as early as possible.

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

A: Most of my work is Pop, but I've worked extensively in Hip Hop and R&B as well. But I have a Spellemann Award for "Best Rock Album", which was Experimental Rock. My Grammy Nom contribution was on a Jazz-crossover album. And my biggest credits are probably in Reggaeton.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: There's a couple things I do very well. I focus into tapping into the feel of the song, which I think is ultimately what the listener picks up on. More specifically I love incorporating lo-fi effects into hi-fi genres. I'm also a bit of a reverb junkie. I love designing and manipulating space.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I come from the perspective of a listener. Many engineers started in bands or as artist. I started as an engineer. My instrument is listening. I bring a decade and a half of experience working with extremely vetted clients.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: For mixing I prefer to pick up where the producer/recording engineer has left off. I take either trackouts of the record with production fx committed, or the actual session (FL Studio, Logic, Studio One, or Pro Tools available, currently). From there I bring home the mix. Some mixes require very little, sometimes some radical steps are needed. Just depends on what the client needs and wants.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: PMC Tb2s+ chained Bryston 4BSST, fully treated mix room, w about $50k worth of analog gear.

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

A: That's a long list. I'm inspired by everything I hear.

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

A: Mixing, vocal production.