Mix, Master, Make It Shine

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 was mastering an R&B album that went on to receive major streaming success. My role was to take the final mixes and enhance their clarity, depth, and tonal balance using my hybrid analog and digital workflow. I’m proud of this project because the artist’s vision was fully realized, and the masters translated beautifully across all playback systems, helping the music reach a wide audience.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: At the moment, I’m working on mastering a variety of R&B, Hip-Hop, and Pop tracks, helping artists and producers bring their songs to professional release standards. I’m also refining my hybrid analog/digital workflow to ensure every project I touch has maximum clarity, depth, and impact.

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

A: I collaborate with and follow many talented professionals on SoundBetter. While I can’t single out specific names, I encourage clients to explore the platform and find engineers, producers, and musicians whose style fits their project. SoundBetter is full of skilled artists who can elevate any track.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I use a hybrid approach, combining analog and digital tools. Analog gear adds warmth, character, and musicality, while digital processing provides precision, control, and consistency. By blending both, I can achieve masters that are polished, dynamic, and full of life, while preserving the artist’s vision.

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

A: My promise to clients is to deliver a master that elevates their track while preserving their artistic vision. I guarantee clear communication, attention to detail, and a polished, release-ready sound that translates beautifully across all formats and playback systems.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: What I love most about mastering and mixing is bringing a track to its full potential, enhancing clarity, depth, and impact while preserving the artist’s vision. There’s nothing more satisfying than hearing a song transform from a great mix into a polished, release-ready master that connects with listeners.

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

A: The most common questions I get are: “Will my track get louder without losing dynamics?” “Can you match the sound of a reference track?” “How long will mastering take?” “What formats will I receive?” I use these questions to clarify expectations and make sure each master meets the artist’s vision while sounding polished and professional across all playback systems.

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

A: One of the biggest misconceptions about mastering is that it’s just about making a track louder. In reality, mastering is about enhancing clarity, balance, and dynamics so the song translates well across all playback systems, while preserving the artist’s original vision. It’s the final polish that makes a track professional and impactful.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I ask about the track’s style and mood, whether it’s a demo or finished mix, any reference tracks, the intended release format, and any areas to focus on. This helps me understand the artist’s vision and deliver a master that truly stands out.

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

A: When hiring a mastering engineer, look for someone who understands both the technical and artistic side of music. Make sure they listen carefully to your vision, communicate clearly, and have a workflow that suits your genre and style. A good engineer will not just make your track louder, they’ll enhance clarity, dynamics, and tonal balance so your music sounds its best across all formats.

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

A: If I were on a desert island, I’d bring my Audeze M-500 headphones, my favorite analog compressor, a precise EQ, my DAW with mastering plugins, and a solid audio interface. With just these five pieces, I could still craft masters with warmth, clarity, and impact, showing that great sound comes from skill and the right tools, not just quantity.

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

A: I’ve been mastering music professionally since 1995, honing my skills in both analog and digital workflows. I started working with local artists and independent producers, and over the years have expanded to collaborate with a wide range of R&B, Hip-Hop, and Pop artists, helping their tracks achieve a polished, release-ready sound.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is a balance of analog warmth and digital precision. I focus on enhancing clarity, depth, and dynamics, while preserving the character and emotion of the original track, ensuring it sounds polished and powerful across all formats.

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

A: I would love to work with artists like Beyoncé, Drake, or Bruno Mars because of their attention to detail, creativity, and ability to craft songs that connect deeply with listeners. Collaborating with artists of this caliber would allow me to bring my hybrid analog and digital mastering skills to tracks that demand the highest level of polish and impact.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: One tip I often share is to leave enough headroom in your mix before mastering, aim for peaks around -6 dB. This gives the master room to breathe and ensures your track retains its dynamics and clarity without distortion when boosting levels or adding polish.

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

A: I usually work on R&B, Hip-Hop, and Pop tracks, helping artists and producers achieve a professional, polished sound. My hybrid analog and digital mastering workflow brings out the best in vocals, beats, and overall mix, ensuring each track stands out across all platforms.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is mastering tracks to professional release standards using a hybrid analog and digital workflow. I excel at enhancing clarity, depth, and tonal balance while preserving the artist’s original vision, ensuring each song sounds polished and impactful on any system.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring clarity, depth, and professional polish to every track. By combining analog warmth with digital precision, I enhance the dynamics, tonal balance, and overall impact of a song, ensuring it sounds its best across all playback systems and formats.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Whether it’s a demo or a finished mix, I provide a complete master that makes your tracks stand out and sound professional. Using a hybrid analog and digital workflow, I ensure the master is polished, balanced, and ready for release in any format, streaming, radio, or physical distribution.

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

A: I draw inspiration from artists and producers across R&B, Hip-Hop, and Pop, including Beyoncé, Drake, Arijit Singh, Bruno Mars, Lana Del Rey, and Taylor Swift. Their creativity, attention to detail, and ability to connect with listeners influence the way I approach mastering and help me bring out the best in every track I work on.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My hybrid studio combines the finest analog and digital tools: ProTools Ultimate/HDX, Logic Pro, Cubase, WaveLab; Manley Massive Passive & Vari-Mu, TubeTech SMC 2B/HLT 2A, Kush Clariphonic, SSL Sigma Summing, Manley VocBox, Millennia STT 1; Weiss DS1MK3, Lexicon 480L/300L, Prism Sound ADA Dream, Crane Song HeddQ; plus top plugins from UAD, Sonnox, FabFilter, Softube, Slate Digital, iZotope, Celemony, and more. Protools Ultimate HDX, with all Avid Plugins Heat included UAD 2 dsp loaded Plugins: Sonnox Elite dsp, including Frauhofer ProCode Nugen Audio McDsp Fabfilter Softube Weiss Uad Genelec monitoring

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

A: I primarily master tracks using a hybrid analog and digital workflow, blending the warmth and character of analog gear with the precision of digital processing. Most clients come to me with finished mixes that need professional finishing touches, and I ensure each track translates beautifully across all formats, streaming, radio, and vinyl, while preserving the artist’s original vibe.