Manu Iriarte on SoundBetter

First song is free. Owner of El Álamo Estudio since 2017, drumming and writing songs since 2005. I'm one of the best rock/heavy metal mixers in the area and one of the best drummers as well. In every project my ultimate goal is to exceed the costumer's expectations, and I usually achieve it.

Hi, I'm Manu from Argentina. I've been in music industry for over 10 years as a musician and engineer. I also teach at Patagonic University of Arts and became the institute's live sound operator 3 years ago. I love making records and bringing to life artists' ideas. I take every project as a challenge and I don't stop until fulfilling customer's vision. My biggest achievements are related to Rock and Heavy Metal music, but I love the adventure of working with any genre such as Pop, Reggae, Folk, Hip Hop.
I cover every stage of the process of making an album, but mixing is what I really love and what I think is my strongest hability. So if you already recorded your songs and need an affordable yet reliable mixer, you should check what I can do. You won't regret. Also if you need a Pop/Rock/Reggae/Folk drummer, I'm your guy.
I will mix or play one song for free so you can see what my skills are.

Send me a note through the contact button above.

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Languages

English
Spanish

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Interview with Manu Iriarte

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I'll do my best to get the results they want. They won't regret and will be proud of their own creation.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love the process of bringing music to life and being able to put a little of me in every song.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What do they want to provoke in the audience? Do I have creative freedom in the process? Name 3 favorite albums based on their sound style and quality
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started playing drums at 11 years old (I'm 30) and started mixing songs 12 years ago. First I worked with my own band's material and as I was improving my skills, other music collegues started to trust me their songs. I created my own studio in 2017 and started teaching in University in 2020.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: You have to connect the artist's vision with the song and aim to fulfill that goal without leaving aside your own professional judgement.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I would say pop/rock mixings and drum tracks are my best.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I can find the song's essence and soul and design its own vessel. It can be a strong and solid vessel or a more soft, sensitive and refined one.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: For a mixing project I would start listening the song several times in order to discover and feel its escence, its soul. After that I would create a project on Cubase separating track by track and start messing around with the drums compression and EQ. When I feel drums have a body and presence for themselves, I do the same with the bass, followed by guitars, keys, synths and vocals. Once I defined every instrument's character, I start to experiment the effects that will make the mix more "alive". I consider mixing as a non-linear process so I would come back to previous actions in order to confirm my decitions or find a better option. When I feel satisfied with the result, I send a preview to the client to define the last details.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have Focusrite, Tascam and Presonus interfaces. Shure SM57, B52 and SM81 mics and a pair of AKG C214 for achieving the best live drum shots. I have a Gretsch acoustic drum kit with Soultone cymbals and a Medeli electronic kit.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Trent Reznor, David Bowie, Steven Wilson
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I'm usually hired as a mixing engineer and as a session drummer.