Mixing Engineer, Production

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

A: I worked on Iration's self titled record last year. I engineered the entire album and mixed a lot of it. I really love working with the band. They are great musicians and people that are doing interesting blend's of reggae and pop. I mixed their KROQ single "Press Play" which was also the name of the tour supporting the album. I think the tunes turned out really cool and the album was a really fun culmination of a lot of creativity and hard work.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I spend most of my time in the digital world when I'm mixing. It is much more efficient. I like to work fast to harness creativity and inspiration and digital allows me to do so. Digital technology sounds really great these days. Analog has it perks also. I use it more for the tracking end. It really depends on the application / situation. I'm really more concerned about what gets the song across the best. In the end my belief is it's not really the tools you use but who is using the tools.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm working on some tracks by Starbenders. They are an amazing heavy glam psychedelic rock band out of Atlanta on Sumerian Records. I've mixed an indie record and 2 EP's for them. They bring the rock as well as on stage and are fantastic people to work with.

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

A: Don't be afraid to ask for what you want or feel. My main goal as a mixer is for the client to walk away truly happy with the final product.

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

A: I started out messing around with a 4 track in high school. In college I took studio classes and recorded some local bands. After college I ran sound at a local rock club and recorded demos for some of the bands that played there. I went to recording school in Tempe, Arizona and from there moved to LA. When I got LA I started working with enginieer / producer Mark Needham, and was his 2nd engineer for several years and doing a lot of mix work on the side to the point where I barely slept for 10 years. I've had my own studio space for 5 or 6 years. I've been involved in recording and mixing for 20 years or so.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Hmmm...aggressive, energetic, exciting. All three of those things are tailored to the style, feel, and vibe of the song and artistic vision.

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

A: Wow that is a loaded question. I could spend days on this one but here is an abridged list. Jimmy Page was the guy that first got me wanting to create music. He is everything that is amazing about rock. I'm a huge Mike Patton fan and inspired by every project he is part of. Not only is he incredibly creative and prolific but he is also one of the best singers and showman I have ever heard and seen. I was incredibly fortunate to have Mark Needham as a long time mentor.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I find the excitement lying within the song that best represents it based on mood, vibe, and creative vision of the artist/ client.

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

A: I will give them a product that is competitive in today's music industry.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Seeing an artist really excited about their own music after hearing it mixed.

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

A: Is there a good place to eat around here? Yes El Zarape, get the chicken burrito!

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

A: That anyone can mix now that digital work stations are so affordable. It takes a lot of time and experience to be good at mixing.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are your past experiences working with a mixer? What are you looking for in a mixer? What do you want to accomplish with your project? Target audience?

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

A: A Sanken CU41, my Les Paul, my laptop, headphones, and a UAD apollo.

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

A: Jimmy Page because...um...it's fucking Jimmy Page!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Stay fresh to maximize creativity. Don't micromanage ideas and spend too much time on them. If something isn't working either move on or give the idea a rest and revisit it later when it's had some time to marinate.

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

A: Rock, Pop, Alternative, Metal, Electronic, Indie

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a fresh creative perspective and the knowledge and experience of a professional mixer about how to best sonically achieve the vision of the artist.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My normal approach is to get sounds and levels on everything so that I can get to know the song. If time allows I move to another song to give my ears and mind a break. I go back to the original song with fresh ears and start building the mix. I like to get a first mix pass by myself so that I can sit with the song and be inspired by it without distraction or outside influence. I send the first pass of the mix to the artist so they can listen to it in the environment that they usually listen in. That way they aren't listening on foreign speakers and in a room they don't know. I then have the band come into the studio to make changes or email me changes they'd like me to make on the mix. I can go back and forth like this to refine the mix to get it exactly the way the artist wants.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a studio in Hollywood with a view of the Griffith Park Observatory and down the street from the best taco place ever. Gear: Apple Mac Pro, Dual Samsung S24E310 27" Monitors, Pro Tools HDX, Digidesign Command 8 control surface, 2 Avid HD I/Os, 1 Digidesign 192 I/O, UAD Octo Card,Dolby 361 A Noise Reduction, Antelope Isochrone OCX clocking, Daking Mic Pre/EQ Microphone Preamps, ART SLA2 Power Amp, Yamaha NS-10 Monitors, Yamaha HS8S Subwoofer, Furman HDS-6 Headphone distribution system, Neve 5315 Console (33114), Neve 1073 x2, Altec 1220 x10, Urei 1176 Rev D x2, Neve 2254A x2, Distressor x2, Level-Or x2, DBX 160A x2, RNC Stereo Comp x2, Gates Sta Level x1, LA2A x1, DBX 160 x2, Pultec EQH 2 x1, Orban 672A-Sony C37p x2, Coles 4038 x2, Neumann U87 x1, Neumann 184 x2, Neumann 86i x1, Shure SM7 x1, Shure SM57 x6, Shure SM81 x2, Royer 121 x2, Cascade Audio Fathead x2, C12 Modded Clones x2, Sennheiser 602e x1, Sennheiser 421 x2, AKG 414 TL2 x1, AKG D12 x1, AKG D112 x1, NS 10 Sub (in the box) x1, NS 10 Sub (out of the box) x1

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

A: These days I'm mostly mixing. I like to help my clients reach and exceed their artistic vision for their music.