Rock, Pop, Indie Mix Engineer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Aside from learning everything I can about mixing, I am working on writing songs for my Charlottesville-based band, Loose Leaf. We are on Spotify, and I was the mix engineer on our projects.

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

A: Yes, I highly recommend Marvin at Tide Studio if you need a track mastered.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I only work in digital because it's what I have the resources for. I would love to get my hands on some expensive analog gear, but at the end of the day, the gear you have is not what's important. A pro mixing engineer will do so much more with stock DAW plug-ins than an amateur will ever do on a full analog system.

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

A: My promise is that my final mix will hold true to your original vision for the piece of art you are trying to create, and I will work together with you to make that happen.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: This one's simple, I get to listen to music! Every day I get to listen to incredible music from incredible artists, and I get to help shape it into something even better. What else could I ask for?

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

A: "What if I don't like the mix you send?" - I'll listen to your feedback and give it another shot! I wanna make this work for you. "How long will it take to get the mix back" - It shouldn't take me more than one week to get your mix back to you, and It will almost never take that full time "Will you also master my track?" - I only specialize in mixing services. While I know a good deal about master engineering, I respect the art too much to consider myself one.

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

A: A lot of people believe that mixing engineers use magic pieces of software that others don't have access to, and this makes the music sound better in some way. In reality, the best engineers out there are the ones who are well-versed in the absolute basics of production and mixing like balancing levels, EQ, and compression. There aren't any secrets, it just comes down to hard work and a good ear for the music.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I would ask if there was any trouble in the studio or during the production process getting the sound they wanted from the track. I want to help out in any way by adding whatever might be missing from the song, or fixing anything that went wrong. Essentially: what are the biggest things you'd like me to accomplish that you haven't been able to accomplish yet on this piece?

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

A: Let me know anything specific that you want to hear from this mix: any creative suggestions, how you want the tone of the piece to sound, an artist with a similar style, etc. That way, I can try to get it just right for YOU the first time. Every artist has a vision for how they want their art to turn out, and I want to help you get there.

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

A: I began with production about 6 years ago and got into songwriting soon after. I've always wanted to be the guy behind every step in the process of my own music, and so I made that happen. In recent years, I have spent much more time on the mixing end of the process and also began working on projects for other artists, opening doors to more opportunities to learn, grow, and create.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is transparent but transformative. Your track will sound as great as it possibly can while keeping everything about the original vision in mind.

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

A: I would love to work with Frank Ocean. He has the smoothest vocals I have ever heard, and the soft and warm production that he brings to the table would be incredible to work on.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Use your ears. Close your eyes, turn off the visual display on your EQ, and use your ears to hear the differences you're making. Every change you make should be intentional.

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

A: I worked mostly on Singer-Songwriter tracks, and I've also got a lot of experience with Rock and Indie tracks.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My best skill is vocal production. I end up spending the most time on the vocals because they are usually the listener's main focus. Vocal mixing is very complex, so I have dedicated countless hours to learning how to get them just right.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I understand every step of the process. I am a singer and songwriter, so I understand the direction the artist will have in mind with the song. I am a producer, so I understand the feeling that is trying to be brought forth on any given track. I understand what kind of mix makes for a great master, and this is something I have in mind while crafting the mix. As an all-around artist, I bring the most important pieces of the art together in a mix.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: While mixing, I like to keep the most important elements in mind: Balance, Dynamics, Tone, and Ambiance. The process typically follows these elements chronologically, with the balance between each track being the most important task to accomplish, and ambiance as the finishing touch to bring the whole mix together.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I use mostly Ableton and ProTools in my process, which I run through my 2021 MacBook Pro and a Scarlet 2i2. I typically mix with both headphones and studio monitors to get a balanced mix. My recording tools consist of a typical Shure lineup with the SM 57, SM 58, and SM 7B.

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

A: At the top of the list are Frank Ocean, Mac Miller, Mike Dean, and Jacob Collier. These guys are the very best when it comes to creativity, technical skill, and innovative production.

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

A: The work that I do is Audio Mixing, though I have just as much experience in production.