Mixing and Mastering Engineer

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

A: I did the mixing and mastering for the track "Minha Música," featuring Chico Buarque de Holanda, with Camilo Carrara on guitars and music by Carlos Careca. I deeply admire Chico Buarque; it was an immense honor.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Currently, I'm finishing the mixing and mastering of the new EP by the Mozambican artist Lenna Bahule.

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

A: Gustavo Lenza.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital, in the box. Nowadays, plugins are amazing. Recall is done in a much simpler way. Although I have various pieces of equipment here, like the Avalon 737 and Neve 1073, and use them in mixing and mastering, I end up doing most of the process in the digital realm.

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

A: When the music production is well done and well recorded, I promise we can reach the musical reference desired by the client.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Listening to the before and after: how the music arrived to me and how it turned out after my work. After the work is done, I like to reflect on how I contributed to the depth and power of the music I worked on.

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

A: Nowadays, due to technical resources, it's possible to make a master sound very loud. In certain musical genres, this is already part of the aesthetic, and that's perfectly fine. But it's common for artists to request louder masters in genres where dynamics make a difference. A difference in expressiveness and musical quality. In these cases, I try to bring musical references that fit well with the genre the artist is working in, and I attempt to show them why a master with more dynamic range can be beneficial.

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

A: Thinking that we will solve all the problems related to arrangement and music production during mixing and mastering.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Sonically, where do you want to go? What are your musical references?

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

A: Good arrangements and musical productions will always lead to better mixes and masterings.

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

A: My pair of Neumann 310 monitors, my Apollo audio interface, my RME ADI-2 Pro FSR Black Edition DAC (a high-quality converter), my computer with all my plugin packages, and my Sennheiser HD 600 headphones.

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

A: I built my studio here in São Paulo 15 years ago, and I've been working in this field for 20 years. As a producer and audio and mastering engineer, I have been working with various artists with diverse styles and distinct languages. You can get to know my work better by listening to my playlist on Spotify.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is straightforward. Before starting the mixing or mastering process, I like to know where the producer wants to go, and what musical reference they suggest so we can align more precisely. A good musical reference is worth more than a thousand words. Sometimes a single musical reference isn't enough, so I ask for two or three, or even four, to develop a clearer concept of the work. It always helps!

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

A: Norah Jones. She has explored various musical styles, always with a competence and vision that I greatly admire.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don’t leave arrangement and production issues to be resolved during mixing and mastering. Both mixing and mastering will enhance the values of the arrangement and musical production. We can’t always fix flaws that are present in the arrangement and production.

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

A: I often work with music that has an acoustic sound: jazz, folk, orchestral. But I also work a lot with pop, reggae, and electronic music.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: In addition to being a mixer engineer, I am also a musician, graduated from UNICAMP, the State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. I believe being a musician helps guide my choices when mixing and mastering a song.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: First of all, clarity. I always like to find a spatial way to highlight the musical elements created by the producer and arranger.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I usually ask the client for a musical reference. This reference helps a lot in making the workflow easier and more fluid.

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

A: I have diverse influences and inspirations. Internationally, I really like Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux, Carla Bruni, Adele, and Lenna Bahule. In the pop world: Lady Gaga, L.P., and Beyoncé. Here, in my country, I really like the singer Céu and Chico Buarque de Holanda.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I usually do my mixing and mastering inbox, because it makes the process more dynamic. Sometimes I use the EQ on my Neve 1073 or my Avalon 737 (I have those hardware here). I have all the plugin packs from the major brands.

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

A: Mixing and mastering.