Audio Engineer

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

A: I'm most proud of the drum playthrough as it has forced me to try and learn a new skill, video editing. Drums are super fun to mix, especially when there's a fantastic metal drummer playing them.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am currently working on some drum play though videos I did for my good friend Giovanni Casanova, the drummer of Second Death. I brought him to the studio, tracked drums, and took videos from multiple angles using my Sony a6100 and a friends Sony a6400.

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

A: I don't know anyone on SoundBetter, but I most definitely will be spending some time checking everyone out!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I love buying new plug-ins. Plug-ins a quick and easy to use and there are so many fantastic options out there, however, analog gear is so much fun to use. I love having the ability to physically grab a knob and make adjustments. My first time using analog gear I could immediately hear the difference. I have more of a hybrid work flow. I track with analog gear and mostly mix in the box. I haven't really had the opportunity to utilize my outboard gear in a mix yet, but I am really looking forward to it!

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

A: I promise to work diligently on your projects and provide you with top notch audio quality.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I meet some really cool people and get to learn their stories through their music. I get to make a new friend every day.

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

A: Can I book an extra hour? Yes.

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

A: Mixing and mastering a song requires a lot more time and effort than you may think.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Do you have a deadline? What is the deadline? What's the goal? Who are your influences? I like to get to know the people I work with.

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

A: My advice for clients looking to hire an audio engineer is to find someone who genuinely cares about your vision and treats your music as a shared creative journey. Many engineers are artists themselves and work hard to understand not just the notes and sounds, but the emotion and story behind your music.

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

A: Zoom H5 to record, HD280 Pros to listen back, an Audio-Technica AT897 (it's an island... there's gonna be a lot of cool sounds to capture), Yamaha FG3 Red Label (one of the greatest acoustic guitars ever and for this scenario i'm saying it comes with a capo), and an Aston Halo to reduce some noise.

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

A: When I first started recording music I was in High School. My High School experience was a littlet different than most. I started High School in Germany but I was born and raised in Georgia. Moving out of the country, from my friends and family put me in a pretty bad head space but forced me to find an outlet, and that outlet was music. After High School I really started focusing on music and decided I wanted to go to school for it. I ended up moving to Florida where I got a job at Sam Ash. I spent a few months there until I got offered a job as a manager at Guitar Center. While at Guitar Center I met a girl who worked at Endangered Wise Men and asked if they needed interns as I was about to get my Bachelors in Audio Production. I met Rick and started working at his studio on the side.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I like the contrast between a perfect mix and an emotional execution. Emotions aren't always pretty so if a song calls for a less polished vibe to drive home the emotion, I respect and love that.

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

A: SayWeCanFly is at the top of the list because all of his songs sound beautiful. I love the way he writes and the fact that he mixes his own music is awesome. I feel like I could learn so much from him. He is the perfect example of how to retain emotion in a mix and still have that polished. professional sound.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: I think the hardest habit to break is mixing with your ears instead of your eyes. I like things to be perfect so I'm slowly breaking my habit of making sure faders or knobs sit perfectly at an even number just because it looks better. If a track needs to be pulled down in the mix it's okay if it sits at -3.6db, it doesn't need to be a perfect -4.0db. MIX WITH YOUR EARS NOT YOUR EYES!!!!

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

A: I usually work on singer/songwriter stuff but since i've been working at the studio I have expanded to working on more Rap, Rock, and Metal.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I am a perfectionist. I focus on the small details and massage every track into its place.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I focus on the emotion the song is trying to convey and work around that. if I have a soft acoustic love ballad I really try to emphasize the feeling the song gives me.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I start of simple with a basic balance mix where I get things sitting in their own place. When I feel the balance is good, that's when I start going to work and enhancing everything using a wide variety of plug-ins.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have acquired a vast amount of gear within the last few years. Through FullSail I got a MacBook Pro, a Scarlett 18i20, and some Presonus Eris 5s. I now own Mackie HR824s, UA SOLO/610, Focustrite ISA One, Warm Audio WA76 Discrete Comp, Warm Audio WA-8000, Warm Audio WA47jr, an Austrian Audio OC16, the list goes on and on. I'm a little bit of an gear nerd, just a little bit though.

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

A: I have spent the last few months after graduating working for Rick Grice. Rick is a fantastic engineer and mentor. I was blessed with the opportunity to intern for him and slowly work my way up to being an engineer at his Studio, Endangered Wise Men.

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

A: I track, mix, and master