Emcee and Sound Engineer

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

A: I did one of the first mixes of a song called "Tuya" for mexican artist "Dalu". I was very proud with what we accomplished for her. She is beyond talented.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: An artist from West Africa named Da Khay who records with his cellphone (haha) and a Canadian Artist named Stigma who is super talented. Im also working with a female battle rapper named Queen Moda from Nigeria and and an artist named Rogan from South Africa. Also my good friend Azazel Asis who is a multi-platinum producer from Nepal. At the moment we are working together.

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

A: Not yet.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: both. Analog gear can be very expensive and a lot of the time digital can solve the issue with very similar results.But, there is no replacement for a good analog pre-amp and compressor.

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

A: The song isn't done until you are thoroughly happy.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Creating something original and beautiful. It gives a real sense of accomplishment.

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

A: Can you mix my song for $30? No lol

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

A: That it's quick and easy to do and we shouldn't charge as much as we do.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: 1. Is there a reference song you wish for your song to sound similar to? 2. Are you open to re-recording certain sections of the song if deemed necessary? 3. Please, don't be shy in voicing your opinions on a mix. We are a team and as a team we want the best result.

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

A: Some engineers who charge a lot of money are garbage and some that under charge are a prodigy. Study the work you're going to hire. Make sure it has a good balance of price and quality.

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

A: well lets assume the island has infinite free electricity somehow haha. 1. my neuman tlm 103 with the stand and pop filter 2. my avid mbox 3 3. my Preamp/Compressor 4. My computer 5. My mixing headphones

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

A: Actually music started off just a hobby and a distant dream. But, through the years i've honed my craft and been able to make some decent money doing it. I've been making music for almost 25 years and mixing and mastering for over a decade now.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Clean and Warm.

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

A: King Iso in terms of rapping with somebody. I just think he's so talented. As far as mixing engineers I would love to sit in on one of Timbalands sessions

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Multiple De-essers. Most mixing engineers in the beginning tend to De-ess around 6500-7500 but they forget that in the 3500-4500 range sits more of that Harsh "S" sound in a lot of artists voices.

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

A: Rap, Mexican pop, Drum n bass, Rock. I've worked on a lot.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Rapping...haha and im pretty good at mixing and mastering as well.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I am a perfectionist. I have to have a song sound good enough for me to listen to it. I also listen to the customer and do whatever is necessary to make them happy. it's their art, their creativity. They deserve no less than perfection.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I try to understand the sound a customer is going for and I get creative in how i achieve that sound. Vocal/mixing chain can vary depending on the strength of the vocal or instrument stems sent to me. I love Waves, One knob, Air effects, Avalon. my compressors of choice are the Cla-3a and Cla-76. Abbey Road Saturation is a work of art.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: custom built pc (i7, 64 gigs ram, 2 tb ssd), Pro Tools Hd, Avid Mbox 3 interface, Dbx 286s Preamp/compressor, Neuman tlm 102 and 103 mics, Warm Audio wa87 mic, Adam Audio Monitors, Beyerdynamic mixing headphones, soundproof booth, and a various array of plug ins.

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

A: King Iso, Chino XL, Saigon, Big Pun

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

A: Mixing and Mastering of music and artist feature verses.