Roland Rodas on SoundBetter

Hey, I'm Roland! Owner of Cavern of Echoes Mastering. I'm a specialized mastering engineer in metal albums and extreme music. I make your album sound more intense!

Heavy Metal is my passion. Each morning I wake up to classic metal on vinyl and excellent coffee. Then, I get the honour of mastering extreme music as a day job. When I’m not on tour, the studio is where I want to be: Working on your music!

As a fellow metalhead and musician, I fully understand the craving for a crushing album that will command attention, knock people over on the first listen, and force heads to bang.

And that’s why I’m here! I’ve developed a keen interest in mastering and I want to help you make your album sound bigger, heavier and more defined with the least amount of extra processing involved.

In other words, I respect the integrity of your mix while making it sound even more INTENSE.

Your album is in good hands! And ears!

(Se habla Español)

Send me a note through the contact button above.

Credits

7 Reviews

Endorse Roland Rodas

by Mika H.
Verified
Right from the beginning the communication with Roland was
excellent and fluent. He kept me well informed about the progress and always asked if something unclear.
His approach to work was open-minded, systematic, and detailed.
The sound engineering, mixing, and mastering Roland did I find
something that brought Kalmo to the next level. I absolutely recommend you to use Roland at Cavern of Echoes for mixing and mastering for your metal music.
by Ruth B.
Verified
Roland is a true professional. The quality of my mastered tracks is high. I am really happy with the end result. Besides that, I like the quick and direct communication Roland uses. Straight to the point, clear, and he keeps his promises on delivery dates. Happy to work with him again in the (near) future.
by Alex Rink
Had a great experience working with Roland on my voice over demos. He's fast, easy going, and professional. The man knows just how to tweak the takes; they always come out great! Will definitely be sending peers to him and returning myself.
by Tommy Kirby
Having known Rolando for many years, I have seen his ability progress through his time in engineering where he can be compared to the best easily. It was easy to choose him when my project was ready to record our next album and would I return for our next release? Absolutely. Professional, cordial, and very personable, he can help you with all of your recording needs, challenge him! He is up for the task.
by Kevin Trueblood
Meticulous and passionate, Rolando always aims to take the extra step to deliver the type of sound that is best for you. While he has a firsthand knowledge of heavy metal, he is more than capable of working in any genre. Understanding of schedule and budget, I would recommend people record with Roland whether you had a budget of $1,000 or $10,000.
by Steven Tillapaugh
Having worked with Roland in the past, I can safely say that his work is beyond satisfactory. With very affordable rates and plenty of patience makes for a very good first impression in my books. Cavern of Echos really gives new recording artists a fair and immersive experience when undergoing the recording process as a whole. While there is more room for improvement, growth will surely be met.
by Jacob Maisonneuve
Roland operates a professional level studio that is backed by an exceptional work ethic and attention to detail. In my experience, he was critical with his input on the recordings, and his professionalism is reflected in the work produced. It’s promising that Cavern of Echoes will become the new go-to in the Alberta music scene for a quality product.

Interview with Roland Rodas

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: Remastering a 20-year-old album and making it sound really good! Can't tell you many details about it at the moment, as it hasn't been released yet.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: I've seen a few people I know, yes :)
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Please reach out with any questions you might have.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: The best way to communicate with your mastering engineer is through a reference track that already sounds the way you want your tracks to sound like.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: 2 Speakers, Acoustic treatment, an SSL console, an Analog Pultec EQ.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Simplicity and Transparency: I make your mix sounds better while respecting the work of the mix engineer.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: It is very minimalist. I am a firm believer that great results can be achieved with minimal gear.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: James Seabrook, Javier Felez, Ian Shepherd, Kristian Kohle, Graham Cochrane and Andrew Scheps
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I am currently mastering three Black and Death metal projects.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I am a graduate of the Recording Connection (RRFC) and I have been involved in producting records since 2012.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Analog all the way if I had a million dollars. In the meantime, I stick to mostly digital.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I strive to produce quality work and do everything in my power to guarantee my client’s satisfaction. If however, you are not satisfied with the sound of your record or the sound of a mix after two revisions, I will reimburse you in full.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love whenever I see a client leave the studio satisfied and accomplished. Being able to help fellow musicians bring their vision to life is an amazing feeling.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: I think that some potential clients think that I will get involved in the songwriting process and take the role of a producer. I tend not to do that unless specifically asked to do so.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: My first questions are as follow: 1) Have you recorded before? 2) Do you want to record in isolation or live? 3) What is your budget? 4) Could you please provide some reference tracks so I can better understand your vision. Every client will answer each question differently, so the conversation will take different turns based on their answers.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I pride myself in being a very organized and thorough individual. I think my ability to plan organize recording sessions and anticipate every potential pitfall allows to deliver a great experience for my clients.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would love work with Ulcerate one day. I am a huge fan of their songwriting and their riffing style. Their albums are always extremely well produced and an honest representation of their performing capabilities.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Listening to the big picture is way more important than overthinking small details. Learn to recognize when your mix is good enough because mixes are never finished, just abandoned.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I focus primarily on Heavy Metal, Death Metal and any genres dominated by guitar. However, I welcome the opportunity to work with great artists of any genre.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I think I am a good songwriter and I have a pretty good ear for what a song should sound like when it is mixed. Clients trust me with achieving a great guitar tone and a massive, punchy drum sound.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: It varies from project to project. But in general, I ask the musicians how they see the recording progressing and make decisions and suggestions based on that. I like to get every track sounding right at the source, and and I like to clean up and edit tracks right after a project is tracked so that I can focus solely on mixing afterward.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I specialize in mastering metal albums.