Mixing & Mastering Engineer

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both, each where it's useful. I mix in the box in Cubase: total recall, fast revisions, and today's plugins are excellent. For recording, I like analog at the input: the SPL GoldMike preamp and the Klark Teknik 2A-KT compressor give vocals and instruments some colour before they even hit the computer.

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

A: Your song, mixed and mastered by a human, by ear, with no AI. Deadlines met, three rounds of revisions included, and a song that still sounds like you, only better.

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

A: "How much will it cost?" It depends on the track count and the song length; send me your project and I'll give you an exact quote. "How long does it take?" First mix within 5 business days, first master within 3. "Can you master a song mixed by someone else?" Yes, from a stereo file or from stems.

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

A: That mastering can fix a mix. Mastering polishes and makes the song ready for release; if the vocal is buried or the low end is muddy, that's a job for the mix. It's often cheaper to fix it there than to ask too much from the master.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: How many tracks and how long is the song? Do you need mixing, mastering or both? What reference songs do you like the sound of? Do you have a release date? Those answers give you an exact quote and a realistic deadline.

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

A: Listen to before/after examples, not just finished tracks: they show what the engineer actually did. Check that revisions are included and how many. And send one or two reference songs with your project: it saves more time than any long description.

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

A: Cubase, my Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO, my Yamaha HS-8, FabFilter Pro-C and Equality. With those five I can mix almost anything.

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

A: I've been working in Cubase for more than ten years, starting with version 5, first on my own music and then for other artists. Today I run R-Sound: online mixing and mastering, and recording at my studio in the north of France. I also built R-Send, the review tool my clients use to comment on their mixes.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Natural and punchy. I want the song to hit, but it still has to breathe: clear vocals, a solid low end, and dynamics that survive the loudness. The goal is that you hear your song, only better.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Before sending your tracks to a mix engineer, export every track from the very start of the session (bar 1), even if the instrument only comes in later. Everything lines up instantly, nothing gets shifted, and the engineer can start on the music instead of fixing the session.

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

A: Mostly rock, pop-rock and indie, singer-songwriters, and electronic music for mastering.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Listening. Clients often tell me I understood what they were going for before they could explain it. Technically, it shows in balance: every element has its place, and the song holds up on headphones, in a car or on a phone.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Clarity, depth and punch, while respecting your artistic direction. I don't reinvent your song: I make it sound finished, ready to stand next to the records you love.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I start by listening to your rough mix and your references, and we talk about what you want the song to feel like. Then I build the mix around the vocal and the groove and send you a first version. You listen and leave your notes directly on the waveform, timestamped to the second, on R-Send, the review tool I built for my clients. I revise within 3 business days; three rounds are included.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work in Cubase Pro on a Windows PC with an ultrawide screen. Behringer UMC-1820 interface with an ADA8200, SPL GoldMike preamp and Klark Teknik 2A-KT compressor. I monitor on Yamaha HS-8 speakers and Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO headphones, which I've known for years. Mics for recording range from SM57 and SM58 to an Aston Origin and an ORTF pair.

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

A: Mixing and mastering singles, EPs and albums for independent bands and singer-songwriters, and mastering for electronic producers. Clients send their WAV tracks online, from anywhere; local artists can also record at my studio in the north of France.