Rock, Indie & Punk Mix/Master

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

A: Receipts from the Universe by Brian Davis, an indie rock release that has reached 10 million streams on Spotify. I mixed and mastered the songs, keeping the vocals natural and the band feeling alive. We are still working together on new songs and live recordings.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Mixing a live concert multitrack for a repeat client, plus rock and indie songs for new artists.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. I mix in the box in Pro Tools and Reaper with analog-modelled plugins, because it gives me total recall and a fast, flexible process for revisions.

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

A: Your song will still sound like you, only finished. I reply fast, we agree scope, price and delivery before I start, and if something is off we fix it in the revisions.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The moment a rough demo turns into a finished record and the artist hears their own song for the first time with the energy they imagined.

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

A: How many revisions? 3 are included. How long does it take? Usually 2 to 4 days per song. What files do you need? All tracks as WAV files starting at the beginning of the session, plus a rough mix and a reference. Do you master too? Yes, mixing and mastering together or separately.

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

A: That mixing is just making everything louder or adding effects. A good mix is about balance, space and emotion, and it cannot fix a weak recording, so the best results start with good tracks.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: How many songs and tracks, what genre, which reference songs you like, what you feel is missing in your rough mix, and when you need it.

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

A: Choose someone whose finished work you like in your own genre, and who answers clearly and fast. A good mix is a conversation, so send a rough mix and a reference and tell me honestly what feels missing.

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

A: Pro Tools, my Adam A7X monitors, Steven Slate VSX headphones, FabFilter EQ and dynamics, and my UAD plugins.

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

A: I started in recording studios and spent 7+ years as a lead sound engineer for major TV channels. I ran my own recording studio and trained at Berklee Online and Mix With The Masters. I have 15+ years in audio and have mixed 500+ songs, and today I focus on remote mixing and mastering for bands and artists.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Punchy drums, solid bass, powerful guitars and clear vocals, with the groove and the energy of the performance kept alive. Natural and modern at the same time, never over-processed.

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

A: An independent band with strong songs and a clear identity. Those records get the most out of a good mix, because the goal is to keep what already makes them theirs.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Before you send a song for mixing, export every track from the very start of the session so all files line up, and take the limiter off the master bus. Add a rough mix and a reference, and the first version will be much closer to what you hear in your head.

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

A: Rock, indie, alternative, punk, pop-punk and pop.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Drums and bass that hit hard without burying the vocal, and keeping the energy of a live performance in a polished mix.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Clarity, weight and a finished sound, while the song keeps its own character. I make sure the drums hit, the vocal stays clear and the energy of the performance survives the mix.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: You send the tracks, a rough mix and one or two references. We agree on scope, price, delivery date and revisions. I deliver the first mix, we go through the revisions (3 included), and then I master it for streaming. Typical turnaround is 4 to 6 days per song.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Pro Tools and Reaper, Adam A7X and Genelec monitors, Steven Slate VSX and Beyerdynamic headphones, plus UAD, Slate Digital, Plugin Alliance, FabFilter, Waves and iZotope RX. I check every mix on different systems before I send it.

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

A: I learn from top mixers by studying how they build a mix, which I did through Mix With The Masters. And I'm inspired by bands that sound like a real band playing in a room, because that is the feeling I try to protect in every mix.

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

A: Remote mixing and mastering of rock, indie, alternative, punk and pop songs, mostly from full multitrack sessions. Bands and artists send me their recorded tracks, and I turn them into a finished, release-ready song.