Composer & Sound Designer

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

A: I had the pleasure of working with a group for a game. I was the all-round sound specialist. I composed sound tracks for in-game encounters, created sound effects and cleaned up vocal files before they were put into the game. I was proud of what we achieved as no one was there for pay, but because we enjoyed what we did as a group.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Currently working on creating a portfolio. I often change my online presence every few years, which means starting over with the profiles and portfolios. I mainly do this because my previous work no longer carries the same quality as my latest works.

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

A: I'm new here, so not yet.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Mostly digital, mainly because analog machinery can take tens-of-thousands just for one device. To have a full analog setup, we are talking about a dedicated room with sound treatment, multiple machines that are for different purposes, enough space for a recording room (optional but often seen as necessary in recording studios) and professional grade monitors (speakers). I travel regularly, and I don't have a home studio (neither the space, nor the budget). Digital production has come a long way, and in the current day, it can deliver results that are equal in quality to analog recording methods.

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

A: I promise excellent communication and delivery time for your project. We will not leave any stone unturned so that the product I deliver you will be as close as possible to what you have in mind and be available when you need it.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I work as a freelancer, and don't need to keep doing it if I feel overwhelmed or tired. This allows me take breaks when needed, and I can always retain the enthusiasm I have for music. It started as my hobby, and I'm happy to be able to do freelance work for it on occasion.

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

A: +When can we expect this project to be finished? -Timeline depends on the workload. If you want some sound effects, that will be around a week. If it is a full composition made from scratch, then it can take several weeks. +Do we get revisions? -As long as your revision request is within reason, the yes, we will revise the project until you are satisfied. However, please note that I retain the right to refuse further revisions if I suspect a negative intention. Please understand that revision potential will be reduced the further we move on, so please try to state your revision requests as early as possible. +How do you provide WIP updates, if at all? -I will contact you regularly and provide you with what I made. You will get to tell me whether you like what we have, if you would rather change something in them or if you would like to start over (for the initial phases) and explore a new option.

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

A: Sound design, music production and audio engineering are all intertwined. It is the act of shaping sound in digital environments to achieve the desired artistic expression. This is art in its essence. The creative process is similar to painting, dancing or writing. People often think of recording studios when they hear these terms used. However, with the advancement of technology in the field of music making, we can do or work regardless of where we are. It is often assumed that a work done in a professional studio with speakers will always sound better than the work of someone working on a laptop with headphones. However, this is a misconception as the current day equipments we have provide us the same level of professional quality regardless of where or how we produce.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: -Budget range? (pricing is often done per customer, per project. Flat prices often ignore the budget of the customer) -Timeline? When do you want this delivered? Is there a hard-deadline to keep track of? -What do you want this to sound like? (reference tracks or sounds) -What do you DON'T want this to sound like? (knowing what we don't want is important) -Are we aiming for a very specific style or is there more room for creative exploration?

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

A: Understanding what you are looking for makes the process easier for all of us. I understand that sometimes it can be hard to put your finger on exactly what you want, but if you have a rough idea of what you want the final product to be, then try to put these on a piece of paper/write them on an online document. As you write your ideas down, you will realise that you need to be more specific about what you write. Since now you are putting your thoughts onto a written format, you will stop at times and think "Do I want this or that?". You will also realise that maybe you didn't consider a certain aspect after you read through what you wrote. In any creative field, being more specific about %70 of the details will help you get a result that is close to what you have in your head. However, note that being %100 specific can be detrimental as well, since the creative process involved in music will mean that the person you work with will add their own interpretation and style to what they make.

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

A: Headphones, laptop, sound insulation materials, an Uninterrupted Power Source (UPS) and car to drive to the nearby resort once I get bored. No one said I was stranded or that this island was uninhabited. So I assume I'm there for vacation.

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

A: I've been doing sound design, music production and audio engineering since 2017. I've started this as a hobby and later on refined my skills through countless hours of production work, releasing music on streaming platforms, applying different production techniques on my works, discovering new ways to solve and sometimes create new problems. I haven't received a school education on this, however I've found the knowledge I've gained online in this field to be more than sufficient.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I'm often creating complex instrumental tunes where call-n-response of multiple instruments is a common sight. I often focus on the story I'm trying to tell with the music, as for me, that is the most crucial part of the process. I create musical pieces that often sound nothing like what you will find on the mainstream market. I'm often interested in more niche genres and I generally lack the interest for more popular genres.

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

A: I'm often looking to work with smaller artists, as I find it more refreshing to have the opportunity of working with someone who doesn't yet have a fully established style. As many in the fields of music will tell you, when you are early on in your journey, you are more creative but you lack the skills to bring your ideas to life in a quality manner. Meanwhile, as you progress on with the journey, you get the skills to create a quality product but you end up losing that initial creative drive that brought you into the music production in the first place. I enjoy working with newer artist as they are often full of enthusiasm, are willing to receive feedback on their work and are always looking to further refine their understanding. Unfortunately, such qualities are often lost with more experienced artists.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Music is often about happy little accidents that add along the way to the final outcome. We can't exactly control what we will have in the end, but we can do our best to make sure each step of the process is handled with care and professionalism. Sometimes it is a genre we haven't worked on before, and sometimes it is an entirely new problem we've never encountered before. Each time, we will find new ways to approach issues we face and new ways to shape the tracks we create. We should focus on the process instead of worrying too much on the outcome. Music is a creative process after all, and the journey is where it is at.

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

A: Any instrumental and cinematic tune is naturally my playground. I've worked with electronic music genres, more classic styles like jazz or classic music and even niche genres like celtic music, medieval music etc. Note that, if you are interested in a mainstream genre, I'm definitely not the one for the job.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I'm good with creating intricate melodic pieces that are suited for cinematic and instrumental tracks. I compose, mix and master the tracks. Making the entire process simple and efficient for potential clients.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I often provide a more niche approach to the sound where I will often use methods and strategies that are not mainstream for producers/audio specialists. My approach often brings a quality to my work that makes it stand out as unique.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: If I'm creating a composition from scratch; I will first explore the target style, then I will experiment with different melodic interpretations, I will choose instruments, create variations of layers in each instrument, then I will use them to create a full composition in the final arrangement. It is a mixture of detailed sound design and creative decision making where the end production is original each time.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work with headphones in FL Studio. I travel frequently, so I don't have studio-grade monitors (speakers) to listen through. I use speaker emulators made for headphones, which mimic the professional grade sound quality produces by those monitors.

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

A: Piotr Musiał for the classic instrumental tunes, Deadmau5 for electronic music And my own imagination for the niche genres

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

A: Original compositions, sound design for sound effects often used in games, vocal clean-ups, mixing/mastering of an existing track, sending feedback on works of other producers etc.