Mixing Engineer / Producer

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! You can't beat the speed, efficiency, and scope of possibilities that comes with digital. However, you can't beat the warmth and familiarity of high quality analog gear. I like to run tracks out of the computer, and into analog effects to give songs a warm and focused feel.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The freedom to work on music that I enjoy, and the feeling when a client LOVES my mix!

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

A: Make sure all your tracks were recorded to the best of your ability, clean and with as little noise as possible. Tracks should be sent individually as stems completely dry, with no reverb/compression or other effects. For best results, stems/trackouts for the instrumental can make a big impact.

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

A: I have been mixing music for over 10 years now. I started recording and mixing my brother's band in my basement, and form then moved on to hip hop production and live sound. When I was 21, I interned at Platinum Sound Studios, where I eventually landed a job as an assistant engineer, and then was promoted to be a person engineer for super-producer Jerry Wonda. Now, I am scoring advertisements for companies such as Nike, H&M, Lyft, and Absolut; and I am recording, mixing, mastering, and producing from my home studio in Brooklyn.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is powerful and aggressive, with hard hitting drums and crisp vocals, while giving the mix plenty of space and clarity as to not overwhelm.

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

A: I would love to work with Anderson Paak, His voice cuts through the mix in a way that I can only compare to Marvin Gaye. I think he is also an incredible musician and songwriter, and I've tried to play drums while singing before with far less success.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Give each sound it's own space in the mix. If instruments are fighting eachother, try to use EQ to notch out frequencies to allow instruments to have their own space, or duck certain sounds to other sounds which are a higher priority. The key to good production is a great mix, make sure all of your instruments have some room to breathe!

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

A: I most commonly work on Hip Hop and RnB, but I have worked on music from Gospel to EDM and everything in between.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill would be my ear for pitch and melody. I have near perfect pitch, and I have a decade's worth of experiencing in tuning vocals.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I feel that what I bring to a song is that try my best to fulfill the artist's vision for the song. Instead of trying to impose my commonly used effects and techniques, I prefer to let the mood of the song dictate the work ahead of me. Basically, I will try to refine the sound as accurately as possible while still maintaining the integrity of the original composition.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When working, I like to shut myself off from the world completely and get lost in my mix, while frequently referencing with current music to be as precise as possible when making tracks compete with mainstream music.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I use Ableton Live for production, Pro Tools for mixing, mastering, editing, tuning. I use Yamaha HS7's and HS8's to listen in my well treated control room. For microphones, I use an AT4040 or a Shure SM7B ran through an ART MPA Tube Pre-Amp.

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

A: As of recently, the vocal production and mixing on Travis Scott's new album has been a heavy source of inspiration for me.

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

A: Most of my work includes mixing, mastering, and tuning on Hip Hop, RnB, and Pop music.