Rock & pop mixing + production

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

A: Not at the moment — I'm relatively new to the platform. That said, if you need services I don't offer (session musicians, songwriting, vocal recording), feel free to ask and I'll do my best to point you in the right direction.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital, primarily, but with analog-modeled processing for color and character. I run UAD plugins specifically because they model analog hardware convincingly without the cost and maintenance of running actual outboard. I'm not chasing a format; I'm chasing a sound. If a digital chain gets there, that's the right answer. I will say, I do tend to utilize my TEAC A-3340s Tape Machine and my Klark Teknik 76-KT in most mixes I do. It may be subtle, but that tape machine really does add some character!

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

A: That you'll get a professional, release-ready result with clear communication at every step. No ghosting, no guessing. If something needs to be addressed before we finalize, I'll tell you. I want the final product to represent you at your best and I take that responsibility seriously.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The moment a rough, uncertain-sounding recording becomes something the artist is actually proud of. That transition, where the music finally sounds the way it felt when they wrote it, is why I do this work.

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

A: Most common: "Do you do stem mixing or full mixing?" Yes to both. I can work from a rough bounce you've been referencing, or from fully separated stems. The more organized your stems are, the more control I have. "How many revisions do you include?" - I include two revision rounds in every mix. If we need more after that, it usually means we need a better conversation about references upfront, and I'm always happy to have that.

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

A: That mixing is just turning knobs. A good mix is about decision-making; knowing what to take out, what to push forward, and when to leave something alone. The technical side is table stakes. The real skill is taste and restraint: not doing too much, and knowing when the song is done.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What's the vibe or feeling you want the finished track to have? Do you have any reference tracks that capture the sound you're going for? What DAW are your stems from, and how are they organized? What's the timeline; is there a release date or deadline I should know about?

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

A: Listen to samples before you reach out; not just the genre but the actual sonic quality. Does the low end translate? Are the vocals sitting right? Does it sound like something you'd want to listen to? If the samples match the sound you're going for, that's a good sign. Also, communicate what you want clearly upfront. The more you can describe your references and goals, the better your first mix will land.

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

A: MacBook Pro (DAW brain), Universal Audio Apollo Twin (interface and real-time UAD processing), FabFilter Pro-Q 3 (surgical EQ I trust completely), the SSL Channel Strip and G-Buss Compressor plugins by UAD, and a solid pair of headphones — Sony MDR-7506. That rig gets most work done anywhere.

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

A: I started as a musician, playing drums, bass and guitar, and got into engineering because I wanted to understand what was happening to the music after it left the room. Trained through Berklee Online with a Pro Tools certification and built my skills through hands-on session work in audio post-production and independent artist projects. I've been actively mixing and producing for over five years, with credits spanning indie rock, pop, and alternative releases.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Clean but not sterile. I like mixes that feel intentional and three-dimensional; where there's space, and every element has room to exist without fighting. As a drummer, I'm always drawn toward natural dynamics and punchy low end rather than hyper-compressed modern loudness.

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

A: Title Fight. Their records sit in this rare zone where everything feels raw and emotional but the production is meticulous underneath. Working on something in that world, where the technical and the human are in real tension, would push me in the best way.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Reference everything. Your mix should translate on earbuds, car speakers, a phone, and studio monitors. If it only sounds good on one system, it's not done yet. Build the mix on decent monitors but verify constantly on consumer playback. It is far too easy nowadays to listen to mixes in various formats. That's where most listeners actually are.

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

A: Primarily indie rock, pop-rock, and alternative genres, where drums and guitars need to breathe but still hit hard. I also work regularly in indie pop, pop, and hip hop. My background is rooted in rock and alternative, so I'm most at home when there's some energy and dynamics in the track.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Mixing. Specifically, translating a rough, energetic recording into a polished, cohesive mix without losing what made it exciting in the first place. That balance of honoring the feel while raising the quality is where I do my best work.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Technical precision and musical instinct in the same room. I can read a spec sheet and I can feel when something doesn't sit right in a mix, which seamlessly goes hand-in-hand. I bring clean, intentional decisions: every EQ cut has a reason, every effect serves the song. Artists tell me they feel heard because I actually listen to the track as a listener first, not just as an engineer.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I start every project by listening to the raw material without touching anything. Just getting a feel for what the song needs. For mixing, I build from the static mix, establish the drum and bass relationship first, then layer in the mid and top-end elements. I send a rough mix for approval before printing the final. For mastering, I reference on multiple playback systems before delivery. I communicate clearly at each step and flag anything that might need a re-record or fix before it becomes a bigger problem later.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work primarily in Pro Tools (Berklee-certified operator) and Logic Pro X, running through a Universal Audio Apollo interface, as well as some minimal outboard gear (tape, compression). My plugin chain leans on the FabFilter Pro-Q3, iZotope Ozone for mastering, plenty of UAD emulation plugins, and Melodyne for vocal tuning. I mix both ITB and can accommodate client session formats from Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton, and FL Studio stems.

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

A: On the engineering side: Andrew Scheps, Brendan O'Brien, and Jacquire King. All are engineers who serve the song rather than impose a sound. As a drummer, serving the song is a philosphy I find to be a universal contributor to a unique creative style. On the production and music side: John Frusciante's minimalist philosophy, the sonic world-building in Manchester Orchestra records, and the raw energy in early Blink-182 and Jerry Finn's production work.

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

A: Most of my work is mixing and mastering for independent artists by taking stems or a rough mix and delivering a polished, release-ready master. I also produce original tracks from scratch and handle vocal editing and tuning for artists who need their performances sounding clean before or after mixing. Most clients come in for singles or EPs, and many come back for follow-up projects.

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

A: A full mix and master for a southern rock/folk single. My job was to clean it up enough to sound professional and add more character, without killing the energy. The band wanted it to feel like a room, not a plugin, which can be challenging to dial in at times, especially when working with indie/unsigned bands. However, using the tools at my disposal, we took that song from sounding like a pretty good demo, to a professional-grade mix and master. That project shaped how I think about restraint in mixing.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Mixing and mastering projects for independent artists; mostly indie rock, pop, and alternative. Also building out my production catalog and taking on production support work for artists earlier in the process who need help shaping a sound before the mix stage.