Mixing & Mastering

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

A: I produced, tutored, mixed and mastered a bunch of songs for an artist by the name of Xanus. She came to me for help with finding her sound, and executing expert level productions. She was brand new to the game, so there was much work to be done, and what makes me proud is the amount of growth from her in such a short time!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: This profile page! Just kidding. As a studio owner, I'm always working on new exciting projects with my partner, everything from recording, productions, mixing, mastering, beats, and even tutoring.

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

A: Not currently

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital - strictly for versatility and non destructive editing

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

A: Every artist has different needs, goals, and obstacles - and it's my job to help support their journey despite them. I am transparent and work closely with them from the ground up, identifying exactly how I can help them flourish in their journey.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: This might sound cheesy, but it is seeing the artists reactions in the studio when they hear the final mix and master!

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

A: How did you get my mix so wide, bright, and thick? A magician never reveals his secrets!

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

A: That technology has become so good that you can just throw a bunch of presets and plugins on the tracks and magic happens!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I have an in depth form submission process on my website that really simplifies this!

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

A: If you're new, try out affordable options first, like finding a non exclusive beat/instrumental to record over, and getting a vocal mix and master done (as opposed to a full mix and master, where the stems of the instrumental need to be mixed as well).

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

A: My laptop, as I would have access to all the emulations and plug ins I need!

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

A: I started my music journey in high school (2006), where I experimented with creating/remixing electronic music, while continuing my passion for design and photography. After a career in Graphic Design, I decided to take my hobby more seriously and went to Dubspot Music School in New York City. I graduated with 5 unique certificates based around music production, and now co-own a music studio in Toronto named Matte Black Records, which has been incorporated for 3 years now.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I'm not sure I have a specific style per se. I try to leave my ego and taste at the door, and give the song what it needs and deserves to shine.

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

A: My ideal artists come with passion, dedication, and talent. Passion first is important, and talent is last, as I've seen tremendous growth from "amateur" sounding artists, all because of the dedication and passion they bring to the work.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: This is more of a mixing or mastering tip depending how it's used, but I love putting a gentle expander (fab filter pro-g as upward compression for example) on the master, but just for the side information.

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

A: I own a music studio, so we get all walks of life in here! Most notably, various hip hop and pop genres, but also a lot of singer/songwriter and acoustic/indie music.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Definitely my attention to detail, most clients are shocked at how I can point out tiny errors, elements, ideas etc in their work, which of course get fixed in my process.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I mix and master to optimize and bring out all the details of the clients music, with clarity and punch. I am very diligent and meticulous with my work ethic, and always strive for excellence.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Client easily submits stems and song information using a form process I've designed on my website, and then I submit an invoice based on the options they select during the submission process.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: We have 2 rooms. The one pictured on my profile is the main overall room, where I house a vocal recording booth and get our recordings done. I also have a second room dedicated for mixing and mastering, with much more acoustic treatment for a tighter and more neutral sound.

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

A: Skrillex (Sonny Moore) was and continues to be my biggest inspiration with his eclectic range of productions. One of my favourite mixing and mastering engineers is Steve Corrao, the owner of Sage Audio in Nashville.

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

A: Most commonly I am recording vocalists to productions my partner has done with them, and then mixing, and mastering the song. This includes expertly crafting and tuning their vocals with Melodyne, and even time adjustments when needed.