Sound Designer & Producer

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Depends on the sound you're looking for. Analog has natural imperfections and sometimes that's desired. If you want it to sound super polished, digital.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Music is life.

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

A: Mixing doesn't fix bad tracking. It's always best to get a good source signal. Please set expectations accordingly.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Always consider cost, quality, and speed. Typically you sacrifice one for the other 2 and it can be very difficult to balance all 3 equally. Take it from me as I also have 10 years experience as a technical project manager in hardware engineering for a tech company.

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

A: I typically work with visionaries the best. I can execute someone's vision in a efficient, proficient, and high quality manner. I'm the boots on the ground but can also provide advice on strategy and tactics as long as there is someone with the grand vision to guide me.

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

A: Is this gear that I currently own or dream gear? Also, I would probably feel guilty bringing anything that wasn't survival gear with me.

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

A: I started playing music at age 4 and started painting at age 5. Since then I can't put down my piano or paint brush. When I got to Berklee I wanted to learn how to bridge my artistry with technology which is why I chose the electronic production and design major. I learned pretty much everything at the intersection of audio, music and technology. How to build analog synthesizers, generate sounds with modular synths, compose entire scores of music using only MIDI, advanced recording, mixing, and mastering techniques, sound FX for film, foley, and so much more. Since graduating in 09', I've been sharpening and broadening my skills even more by working in the film, music, festival, and tech industries. In the past 6 years I started my own recording studio here in Santa Barbara where we provide the local community with tracking, mixing, mastering, foley, ADR, podcast, and sound design services. I also work freelance as a teacher, sound designer, artist, studio musician, and engineer. Recently I've started to teach myself how to program/author sound design for video games (non-linear media) using Wwise and Unreal. I'm not certified in Wwise.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Relaxed, chill, and a lover of true authenticity in artistry.

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

A: Thom Yorke. In my opinion, he's the songwriter I idolize the most because of all the influences he draws from. He's not afraid to take risks and when he performs it feels like it's from a different dimension.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't overdo anything. Measure things, make an adjustment, measure again, adjust again if needed. Having a system to how you mix is also very important before the CPU load gets away from you.

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

A: Rock, funk, soul, R&B, jazz, reggae, prog rock, psych rock, blues, southern rock, electronic, EDM, hip-hop, and ambient.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Organization and critical thinking.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: 18 years of experience in the fields of recording, mixing, mastering, sound design, foley, ADR, and music production.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Stay organized from the start. Don't let the session get away from you. Label things correctly, order tracks correctly, and measure twice/cut once. It's also important to communicate well which involves listening to what the client wants. Most importantly, it's good to remember to have fun! Never try to record something in a sour mood, music and art are meant to be enlivening!

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have 2 setups, at the studio I use all midas pres as my main bank of 32 channels, but I have a 8 channel cranborne set of 500 series pres that are modeled after API, Neve, and SSL pres. I have a selection of large diaphragm condenser microphones made by Roswell Audio, modeled after Neumann mics. I also have a set of drum mics made by Heil audio. I have some random specific use mics like the Sennheiser 441, the AT4040, RE20, small diaphragm condensers, etc.

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

A: I'm very much inspired by the work of Alan Parsons (Pink Floyd), and Nigel Godrich (Radiohead)

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

A: Sound design, recording, mixing, and mastering.