Mixing and Mastering

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

A: I was working with a local Austin singer / songwriter who had not recorded in a studio before. I was proud that I was able to get great tracks, production, post-production, and a mix that he loved. He also was thrilled by additional tracks that I added to fill out his mix (singing, guitar, piano, and some samples).

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Getting music ready for SXSW

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

A: There is a lot of great talent on SoundBetter. Ask me in a private message and I will recommend some people.

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

A: You will be completely satisfied with my work.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Satisfied clients. There is nothing like it.

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

A: Can you make me sound like Adele? No.

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

A: Not sure.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is this song trying to capture?

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

A: Find someone who will actually listen and understand what you are trying to accomplish with the song / album.

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

A: A jet, a good pilot, a good runway, jet fuel, and a Chick-fil-A spicy chicken sandwich.

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

A: A long time. Had a Tascam Portastudio 4-track recorder when I was a kid if that's any indication.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: The magic happens in the back and forth with the client. I can produce something, mix something, edit, or whatever. But the reaction of the artist and the work that ensues afterward is where a good production is made.

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

A: I most enjoy working with artists who are working hard to get their career off the ground.

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

A: Andrew Scheps - Inspirational because he proved that with enough skill and will you can break the status quo when it comes to equipment and traditional music production techniques. ...and he wasn't afraid to try it. Tim Palmer (mix engineer for Pearl Jam, David Bowie, Robert Plant, and countless others) made a statement before we worked together that technical things are important to have right, but those things are not what makes a song become a hit. Getting lost in technical details can kill the song.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is a 400 square foot space in Austin, TX. Mix room has high ceilings, premium 3-way monitors plus a 15 inch sub. The room and speakers are tuned in collaboration with Mark Genfan from Acoustic Spaces. Large and comfortable mix desk is fully equipped with Tonelux EQ's and summing amp, Massenburg GML 8200 stereo buss eq, and an Alan Smart C1 - SSL buss compressor. The adjoining rooms, and sound-treated iso booth provide ample space to track individual instruments and vocalists through a selection of Universal Audio preamps and Neumann microphones. Setup is complete with Pro Tools, Apogee Symphony I/O, gobs of great plugins (UA, Sound Toys, Native Instruments, McDSP, Waves) and of course a 27 inch Apple display and a pair of Adam S3V monitors.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I briefly interview the client. I find out the story or emotion that the song should convey. I express ideas based on listening to the track. I ask questions to find out what will lead to a successful project. I clarify the tempo, the key, and what are good reference tracks for the feel of the song, etc. EDITING: When beginning to edit, I organize the tracks first. If editing the entire song, I will begin with drums and bass. If the tracks were recorded to a click, I will seek to bring the drums and bass into alignment with the tempo and ensure that it still sounds natural. Along the way, I will replace bad-quality bass notes, drum hits, melodic notes on violin, guitar solos, with other notes found in the same track. I will splice the replacement parts / notes in perfectly, with perfect timing. You won't notice except that the part will sound better. After completing each track, set of tracks, or entire song, I will listen through the entire song multiple times in speakers and headphones to make a punch-list. After fixing the items on the punch list, I will listen again to ensure everything is complete. I send the completed work to the client and welcome any revisions. TUNING: For proper, transparent tuning, I use a combination of tools, including editing in better vowels that are closer to pitch before beginning actual tuning. I use built-in Pro Tools Elastic Audio tuning, Melodyne, and others as needed. The goal is a tight sounding part that sounds like it was played or sung that way. It is necessary for tuning to know the key of the song and if possible to get a chart of the melody (not required, but very helpful).

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I have a knack for hearing the intended emotion of a song as well as pitch and timing. I am also a good communicator, and will work to understand your needs and make sure you get what you are looking for. ...and I will make it fun and relaxed for every client.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't assume you know what the artist wants, or that you understand the song. You have to let it sink in, and you have to listen to the artist and the vibe that they are trying to create.

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

A: I take a pile of undifferentiated recorded material and turn it into a magic sounding mix. I have no tolerance for things that are out of time, out of tune, too messy, which is good for you. While working, I clean up pops, clicks, shift timing, re-comp and tune vocals to natural sounding perfection. During the mix process, I routinely collaborate with the artist sharing production ideas and pointing out weak spots in the song and how to overcome them. The goal is always the same. To deliver a mix that the artist is pumped about.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: A combination of both! These days you don't have to settle for one or another. Tape saturation on the front end, and the editing / mixing ability of Pro Tools, then analog summing amps / mixers on the back end. The best productions incorporate both analog and digital.

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

A: I work on a very wide variety of music. Blues, Hip Hop, Reggaeton, World, Country, Pop, Rock, Indie, Singer / Songwriter, Movie Soundtrack, etc.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: First and foremost, I bring emotional expression (listen to the demo). Whether the track is a simple vocal with minimal production or a guitar solo played by a country artist, or even a trumpet, the audience will walk away and feel the pain, the sorrow, the betrayal, the innocent love, and the wild party animal. My talent is to bring the story to the surface to captivate the audience. In addition to this I improve production, timing, and pitch with a natural feel, and inspired sounding performances.