K-Pop/Indie/R&B MixingEngineer

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

A: One project I’m especially proud of is my work across commercially released Korean music as both a songwriter/producer and engineer. I’ve contributed as a composer to YESUNG's “Silhouette,” as a composer and arranger to SEVENUS' “Airplane mode,” and have worked on arrangement, mixing, and production for other Korean artists and releases. These projects are meaningful to me because they reflect the two sides of my career: creating the musical foundation of a record and understanding how to turn that production into a finished listening experience. That combination has shaped the way I work today. Even when I’m hired only to mix, I’m always listening from a producer’s perspective.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I’m currently working on a mix of K-R&B, Pop, Indie, and vocal-focused releases, along with production and arrangement projects for independent artists. I regularly move between mixing, vocal production, arrangement, and mastering projects, which helps me stay connected to both the creative and technical sides of record making.

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

A: I’m still getting to know the SoundBetter community, so I don’t want to recommend someone simply for the sake of filling this section. I’d rather recommend collaborators once I’ve personally worked with them or know their work well enough to stand behind the recommendation.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both, but I’m very comfortable working primarily in the digital domain. Modern digital tools give me an incredible level of precision, recall, automation, and flexibility. At the same time, I love the musical behavior and imperfections associated with analog equipment, so I often use tools that bring some of that character into the workflow when the song benefits from it. For me, the question is never analog versus digital. It is simply which tool makes the record sound better.

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

A: I promise to treat every song as music, not just another session to process. I will listen carefully to your references and feedback, communicate clearly, and make decisions that serve the song rather than forcing the same processing chain onto every project. I also promise to be honest about what can and cannot be improved from the material provided.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I enjoy the moment when a collection of individual tracks suddenly starts feeling like one finished record. Sometimes a very small change in vocal level, automation, ambience, or low-end balance completely changes how emotionally convincing a song feels. Finding those moments is what keeps the work interesting for me.

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

A: “Can you make my song sound like this reference?” My answer is usually yes in terms of direction, balance, tone, space, and overall feeling — but every recording and arrangement has its own limitations and strengths. I use references as a target for the aesthetic, not as something to copy blindly. My goal is to bring the client's song into the same professional world while keeping its own identity.

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

A: One common misconception is that mixing is mainly about making everything louder, brighter, or more impressive. In reality, much of mixing is about relationships — deciding what should be important, what should move backward, how the arrangement breathes, and how the listener's attention moves throughout the song. Sometimes the best mixing decision is actually to do less.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I usually ask: What is the final goal for the song? What do you like and dislike about the current rough mix? Which reference tracks best represent the sound you want? Are there any elements that should remain especially natural or intentionally processed? Do you need vocal editing, tuning, mastering, instrumental versions, acapellas, or stems in addition to the main mix? Understanding these things before I begin saves time and allows me to make better creative decisions from the start.

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

A: Choose an engineer based on whether their musical taste matches the direction of your song, not only on technical credentials. A good mix is a collaboration. Sending a clear rough mix, a few meaningful reference songs, and explaining what you like or dislike about your current production will usually lead to a much better result than simply asking for a mix to sound “professional.”

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

A: A powerful computer with Cubase Pro, my RME Babyface Pro, a reliable pair of headphones, a small MIDI keyboard, and one great condenser microphone. And hopefully the island has electricity.

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

A: I’ve been working professionally in music for over 12 years as a composer, arranger, producer, and mixing engineer. My background in songwriting and arrangement eventually led me deeper into recording, vocal production, mixing, and mastering. Over the years I’ve worked on commercial releases, independent records, OST projects, and music for a wide range of artists. My credits include work with artists such as YESUNG of Super Junior, SEVENUS, The Ade, UO, Slou.D, and other Korean artists and projects. That production background still strongly influences the way I mix today — I approach every session as music first and audio second.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Clean but not sterile, polished but still emotional. I like mixes with a strong vocal presence, controlled and musical low-end, clear separation, and a sense of depth rather than everything being pushed directly toward the listener. I generally prefer subtle movement and detail over aggressive processing unless the song specifically calls for it.

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

A: I would love to work with artists such as DEAN, Crush, BIBI, or artists in a similar creative space. What interests me most about their music is the combination of strong songwriting, distinctive vocal character, modern production, and detailed atmosphere. Those are also the areas of production and mixing that I enjoy working on the most.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't make every element sound impressive on its own. A sound that feels huge or beautiful in solo may take too much space once the entire arrangement is playing. Always make decisions in context. The goal is not to create twenty great solo sounds. it is to create one great record.

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

A: I mainly work on K-Pop, Korean R&B, contemporary R&B, Pop, Indie Pop, Ballad, Hip-Hop, and vocal-focused music. I also have experience with OSTs, band arrangements, acoustic productions, cinematic music, and commercial music. Regardless of genre, I tend to work best on records where vocals, atmosphere, groove, and emotional detail are important.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is balancing vocals and the instrumental in a way that feels clear, dimensional, and emotionally connected. I spend a lot of time on vocal tone, dynamics, automation, depth, and how the instrumental makes space around the vocal. I’m also very comfortable identifying small arrangement or frequency conflicts that prevent a mix from feeling open and polished.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring clarity, depth, emotional focus, and musical perspective. Because I also work as a composer, arranger, and producer, I don’t only think about whether something sounds technically correct. I listen to how the arrangement, vocal performance, dynamics, and sound choices work together. My goal is to make the production feel finished while preserving the personality that made the song interesting in the first place.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I always start by listening to the rough mix and reference tracks before touching any plugins. I want to understand the intention of the song first. Then I organize the session, check editing and phase issues, establish the balance and low-end foundation, and build the mix around the emotional focus of the song — usually the vocal. Once the overall direction is working, I move into detailed EQ, dynamics, automation, spatial processing, and final tone shaping. I regularly compare the mix against the references at matched listening levels. After the first mix is delivered, I collect the client's feedback and make revisions while protecting the overall balance and musical intent of the record.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is built around a Genelec 8330 monitoring system calibrated with GLM and an RME Babyface Pro interface. I work mainly in Cubase Pro and Pro Tools, with a hybrid collection of tools including UAD, FabFilter, iZotope, Melodyne, oeksound, Waves, and other professional mixing and restoration software. My setup is designed around accurate monitoring and detailed decision-making rather than having a huge amount of unnecessary gear. I believe knowing your monitoring environment extremely well is more important than simply owning expensive equipment.

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

A: I’m most inspired by people who have a strong musical identity but still know how to serve the song. Great production is not about showing how many techniques you know. it is about understanding what the artist is trying to communicate and making every decision support that emotion. I especially admire producers and engineers who can create depth, movement, and character without making the production feel overworked.

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

A: Most of my work involves mixing and vocal production for K-Pop, R&B, Pop, Indie, and Ballad records. I often receive full multitrack sessions and handle the entire mixing process, including vocal editing, tuning, timing adjustments, and final mastering when needed. I also work as a producer and arranger, so I can approach a mix from both a technical and musical perspective.