Mixing, Songwriting, Producing

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

A: One project I am especially proud of was my mix of “Naturally,” a live-recorded performance built around drums, guitar, Wurlitzer, organ, and vocals. My role was mixing and preparing the final premaster. Because it was recorded live, the challenge was to preserve the chemistry and energy of the performance while improving clarity, width, punch, and separation. I used phase-conscious processing to create more space around the guitar and used Cubase’s hitpoint detection to generate MIDI for subtle drum reinforcement where the original recording needed additional consistency. What I am most proud of is that the final result still feels like a band playing together. The mix became larger and more polished without losing the natural character, emotion, or interaction of the original performance.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am currently building out Blackwater Sound as the meeting point between my music background, audio engineering work, and experience in computer science and music technology. On the audio side, I am continuing to develop my mixing portfolio through rock, alternative, live-recorded, and guitar-driven projects while refining my workflow for tracking, mixing, and mastering. I am also working on educational material, including the WINK Method, and developing a broader web ecosystem for lessons, tutorials, courses, tabs, and other resources for musicians. Alongside that, I am studying and developing tools related to guitars, pedals, outboard gear, and music software. The common thread through all of it is creating better music, better tools, and useful resources for artists and musicians.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Hybrid. I love the sound, character, and individuality of analog equipment. No two physical units are exactly alike, and that variation can add glue, cohesion, depth, and personality in a way that digital still does not completely replicate. At the same time, digital offers precision, recall, deeper editing, and corrective tools that would be difficult or impractical in a fully analog workflow. Plugins also give me access to virtually unlimited instances of classic processors such as an 1176, with consistent behavior across every channel. I think of digital as the new tape: it is the modern recording medium, but with far more flexibility and control. Analog is the tried-and-true character stage. For me, the ideal workflow combines the strengths of both rather than treating them as opposing sides.

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

A: I will serve the song first and foremost. Every decision I make—whether technical or creative—will be guided by what best supports the emotion, performance, and identity of the music. I will not force a song into a preset formula or process it simply for the sake of processing. My promise is to listen carefully, communicate honestly, respect the artist’s vision, and deliver a mix that feels cohesive, intentional, and true to the song.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love that I get to create, experiment, and completely immerse myself in music. Mixing gives me the opportunity to explore different tones, textures, effects, and approaches while discovering what makes each song come alive. My favorite moment is hearing the finished mix and getting that feeling of, “This really works.” It is an exciting sense of accomplishment—like hearing the song become the record it was meant to be. I also enjoy that every project presents a different creative challenge. No two songs need exactly the same decisions, which keeps the work fresh and allows me to keep growing as both an engineer and an artist.

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

A: Since I am currently building my client base, I do not want to pretend I have a long list of frequently asked questions. The questions I expect most often are about turnaround time, revisions, file preparation, and whether I can help a song sound more professional. My answer is that I begin by understanding the song, the artist’s goals, and the condition of the session. From there, I give a clear scope, realistic timeline, and honest expectations. I aim to make the process straightforward, collaborative, and focused on delivering the strongest result the source material can support.

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

A: One of the biggest misconceptions is that the amount of gear someone owns determines their level of experience or the quality of their work. Great equipment can expand your options, but it cannot replace critical listening, musical judgment, technical knowledge, or years of experience. A strong engineer should understand balance, tone, dynamics, arrangement, emotion, and how to make intentional decisions with the tools available. My current workflow is primarily in the box, but that does not mean it is limited or inexperienced. The value I bring comes from how I hear the song, how I solve problems, and how I use the tools—not from how much equipment is visible in the room.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I start by asking what the song is about and what they want the listener to feel. I also ask whether there are particular artists, records, sounds, or production choices that inspired the project—not so I can copy them, but so I can better understand the energy, emotion, and creative direction they are aiming for. I also ask: What do you like and dislike about the current rough mix? Which elements should feel most important? Is the production finished, or are you open to production suggestions? Are there any sounds, effects, edits, or performances that must remain unchanged? Do you need editing, tuning, drum reinforcement, or additional production work? What deliverables do you need, such as instrumental, clean, TV, or acapella versions? What is your deadline and intended release date? Who will be providing feedback and approving revisions? What is your preferred method and time of communication? These questions help me understand the song, define the scope of the project, and make sure the creative and practical expectations are clear before work begins.

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

A: Look for someone who understands the song, not just the software. A good mix engineer or producer should ask thoughtful questions, listen carefully to your rough mix and references, and understand what you want the listener to feel. Their portfolio matters, but so do communication, honesty, and whether their artistic instincts align with yours. Be clear about your goals, deadline, budget, and what you feel is or is not working in the current production. At the same time, leave room for the engineer or producer to bring their own perspective. The best results usually come from a balance of clear direction, mutual trust, and a shared commitment to serving the song.

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

A: Assuming the island has electricity: A drum kit A Soldano SLO-100 with a cabinet A Gibson Les Paul Custom My computer An audio interface That setup would let me keep writing, recording, experimenting, and making music. I could track guitars and drums, build full arrangements in the computer, and still have enough flexibility to produce complete songs instead of just practicing individual parts.

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

A: I have been involved in music for about 25 years. During that time, I have played in bands, written songs, recorded local artists, and developed my skills across performance, production, and audio engineering. I later took a hiatus from pursuing music professionally to study computer science and electronics, with a particular focus on guitar and music technology. That path led me into areas such as JUCE development, pedals, outboard gear, audio software, and the technical systems behind modern music production. Blackwater Sound is the new vision that brings those worlds together. It combines my background in music, songwriting, recording, computer science, and electronics into one creative and technical direction focused on making records, building tools, developing educational resources, and contributing something meaningful to the music and guitar industries.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is musical, emotionally focused, and cohesive. I like mixes that feel powerful and polished without sounding overprocessed. I focus on bringing out the emotional center of the song, helping the band sound like one connected performance, and using tone, dynamics, space, effects, and automation to guide the listener through the arrangement. I do not approach every song with the same formula. I treat my tools like colors on a palette or spices in a kitchen, choosing only what the song needs to preserve its identity while giving it clarity, depth, movement, and impact.

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

A: There are a lot of artists I would love to work with—not only as a mix engineer, but also as a producer and songwriter. Foo Fighters, All Time Low, and Four Year Strong would be exciting because I love energetic, guitar-driven music with strong hooks, personality, and live-band chemistry. George Strait would be an incredible opportunity because of his commitment to timeless songwriting, honest performances, and arrangements that serve the story. Stephen Curtis Chapman would also be especially meaningful because of the depth, faith, musicianship, and emotional clarity in his work. What connects all of them for me is great songwriting and a strong artistic identity. I would want to help preserve what makes each artist recognizable while contributing ideas that strengthen the song, performance, and overall record.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Find the emotional center of the song before reaching for plugins. Ask what the listener should feel, which element carries that emotion, and how the arrangement should develop from section to section. Then use balance, tone, dynamics, effects, and automation to support that goal. A song rarely needs every available tool. Just like cooking or painting, the best choices depend on what the individual song needs. Processing should strengthen the performance, not distract from it.

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

A: I usually work on rock, alternative, pop-rock, singer-songwriter, worship, contemporary Christian, indie, acoustic, and other guitar-driven music. I am especially drawn to music that combines strong songwriting, live instrumentation, emotional performances, and dynamic arrangements. I also enjoy productions that blend organic instruments with modern editing, samples, virtual instruments, and creative effects. More than any one genre, I look for songs with a clear emotional core and enough personality to let the mix support the artist rather than force the music into a generic sound.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is finding the emotional center of a song and shaping the mix around it. I focus on making the band sound cohesive, powerful, and natural without overprocessing the performances. Through balance, dynamics, tone, space, and automation, I bring out the emotion already present in the arrangement while preserving the identity of the artist. My workflow has also become increasingly efficient, allowing me to make confident decisions quickly without rushing the creative process.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring an ability to find the emotional kernel of a song and make sure the mix supports it. My focus is on helping the band sound cohesive, powerful, and connected without making the production feel overprocessed. I want the listener to hear a complete performance rather than a collection of individually processed tracks. I use balance, tone, dynamics, space, and automation to bring out the emotion that is already present in the arrangement and performances. The goal is clarity and impact while preserving the natural character, identity, and chemistry of the artist.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I begin by listening to the rough mix, references, and the artist’s notes to understand the song’s energy, emotion, and intended direction. I do not try to copy a reference mix. Instead, I listen for what makes it effective: how the song moves, where the emotion peaks, how effects are used, and how the arrangement guides the listener. From there, I organize the session, check alignment, phase, gain structure, and any obvious technical issues, then build a strong balance before adding heavier processing. I approach mixing as an artistic process. The tools I use are like spices in cooking or colors in painting: not every song needs the same processing, the same effects, or the same techniques. Each mix calls for its own choices, textures, and movement. Once the foundation is working, I shape the tone, dynamics, depth, width, effects, and automation in a way that supports the song rather than forcing it into a preset formula. After the first mix is complete, I step away, return with fresh ears, check translation across multiple systems, and then make any focused revisions needed to finish the record.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My current workflow is completely in the box, built around flexibility, recall, and a broad range of professional tools. I work primarily in Cubase 15, with Pro Tools, Reason, and FL Studio also available depending on the needs of the project. My plugin collection includes the full Waves catalog, Slate Digital Complete, UAD Spark, Safari Pedals, McDSP, and additional mixing, mastering, restoration, and creative processing tools. For composition and production, I use Kontakt, ComposerCloud, and Splice, which gives me access to a wide range of instruments, orchestral libraries, textures, and production resources. My guitar setup includes a Les Paul Special with two P-90s, a Les Paul Junior with a single P-90, and a Taylor 214ce acoustic. For amp tones, I use TONEX, AmpliTube, a Vox AC15 2x12, and a B-52 AT-100. The studio is currently being upgraded to better serve tracking, mixing, and mastering, with the long-term goal of combining the efficiency of an in-the-box workflow with improved recording, monitoring, conversion, and analog front-end options.

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

A: I am inspired by producers and mix engineers who can create powerful, polished records without losing the identity or emotional impact of the artist. Chris Lord-Alge and Tom Lord-Alge inspire me through their ability to create aggressive, focused mixes with strong movement, clarity, and impact. Jack Joseph Puig’s work stands out to me for its depth, character, and willingness to make bold tonal choices. I also admire Greg Wells for his musical versatility and ability to move naturally between songwriting, production, arrangement, performance, and engineering. Rick Rubin inspires me through his focus on the artist, the song, and the essential idea behind a record rather than relying on production complexity for its own sake. Howard Benson, Butch Vig, and Nick Raskulinecz are major influences on how I think about modern rock production. Their records balance heaviness, detail, performance, and accessibility while still allowing bands to retain their own character. Raskulinecz’s work in particular spans artists such as Foo Fighters, Rush, Alice in Chains, Deftones, and others. What connects all of these professionals for me is intentionality. Their work feels deliberate, musical, and emotionally committed, whether the production is polished, raw, dense, or minimal.

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

A: Most of my client work involves taking full multitrack sessions and turning them into polished, emotionally engaging mixes. That usually means balancing the arrangement, shaping the tone and dynamics, enhancing vocals, controlling the low end, creating depth and width, and using automation to help the song develop from section to section. I also help clients identify production issues that may be keeping a song from reaching its full potential.