Mastering Beyond Limits

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

A: Recently I have mastered a song for a big Brazilian singer, Joelma. She is quite famous in Brazil and it was a huge honor to be part of this project. The result was great, and everybody is really happy with the mastering!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: In mastering it's common to work on several different projects, and in one or two days I´m already starting a new one. But I can mention some projects I´m mastering for a very talented producer called Rodrigo Camarão, from Pará - Brazil. He does a top notch production and works only with highly talented artists. I love to master his projects!

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

A: Not yet, but I'm sure soon I'm gonna have good friends to recommend!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love to make music sound better, and it's really challenging to take music to its fullest impact. I simply love this challenge!

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

A: Most clients want to know my opinion about their mixing. Musical production and mixing are demanding steps and usually artists are not completely sure about the result. That is the moment a good mastering engineer helps with trained ears, being able to have a first impression about the recording, and suggesting mixing recalls if needed. Of course my answer will vary depending on what I hear in each mixing, but all the clients can count on my support.

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

A: When people believe they can get a recording mastered automatically, using some app, and don't give enough importance to a professional mastering process. A good mastering engineer makes all the difference, and can really make your recording sound the way you dream of.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I have to be sure i´m supporting the client's needs and artistics expressions. Then I always ask about the intentions and expectations for the project. It's really important to connect and resonate with the artistic expression for every project.

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

A: With no doubt, mastering is a step of great responsibility, which should be entrusted to the most experienced ears. Also it's important to be a professional which gives you all the attention and support that you need to reach the sound of your dreams, and to distribute your music properly.

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

A: 1- Hifiman Ananda Headphones 2- Audio GD Dac/Amp 3- My computer 4- Antelope Interface And I have everything I need!

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

A: I was born in a musician´s family, grew up inside musical studios and live shows backgrounds. I started working with pro audio in 1995, and in 2006 as a mastering engineer. In these 27 years, I had experience as a musician, musical producer, recording, mixing and mastering engineer. I also had experience in live shows management and engineering. My main passion is no doubt on audio mastering.

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

A: I do mastering for several different genres, but the most frequent are Pop, Rock, Worship, Country, Metal, EDM, House and Trance.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: My goal is always to make music sound big, impactful and exciting, no matter what I have to do! It's definitely a fearless approach!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: 1- I start talking to the artist or the producer to get all the project information, intentions and expectations for the final result. 2- I provide to the client the guideline for preparing, rendering and sending the mixing files. 3- I make the first mixing audition, checking if everything is right for my mastering process. If not, I come back to the client giving my thoughts and suggestions to get the mixing right before we move to the mastering process. 4- Having all the mixing files right, I start the mastering work.5- Once I have the first mastering version done I come back to the client and send samples to be approved. 6- If the client approves the first version I move to the next step, if not, the client can request recalls, or even send one more mixing version, if feels it's needed. The client can send up a second version of the mix at no additional cost, and can freely ask mastering recalls until he gets totally happy with the result. 7- Once the client approves the mastering, I move to the final formats preparations, such as Streaming and Video, CD, MP3 and High Resolution. 8- At the final step the client receives each song in the 4 different formats, one PDF with instructions to use the final formats, and another PDF with a mastering report, where I make comments about the mixing and what I did in the mastering.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a quite unusual setup, but it's really effective. I do audio mastering using only digital processing and high-end headphones. I developed a unique headphone alignment technique, to reach a high level of critical listening. I´m currently using Hifiman´s Planar Magnetics which, combined with the alignment technique and experienced ears, has become a truly audio microscope. My processing is based mostly in Acustica Audio and Fabfilter plugins, I have them all, and acustica has really captured analog texture, which makes me choose not to work with analog gear anymore. I know that digital processing + headphones it's a quite an unusual setup for mastering, but I can tell you I'm really confident working this way, and I'm sure my sound speaks for itself. Go ahead and take a listen!

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

A: I love the sound of the biggest pop and rock artists such as Muse, Imagine Dragons, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Ava Max, Lady Gaga, and others. I love it because they sound huge and impactful, and that's the kind of mastering I like to do. My biggest influences in mastering are the engineers of Sterling Sound, which have mastered most of these big artists in the world. My favorite mastering engineers are Ted Jensen, Chris Gehringer, Randy Merrill, Joe Laporta, Alex Psaroudakis, and of course, the goat, Tom Coyne.

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

A: My job is to guarantee that the recording is going to be released with the best sound quality, highlighting the artist's intentions and with all the final formats done and ready for an easy distribution.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Big, impactful and vibrant sound. Loud, but still punchy and alive.

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

A: Hermeto Pascoal, Muse, Infected Mushroom, The Weeknd, Bruno Mars, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, Coldplay, Sam Smith, Lady Gaga, Francisco El Hombre, to mention a few. For their talent and authenticity. I love to collaborate with authentic artists.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I love analog and have worked with it for many years. But honestly, today I can have all the analog qualities and textures in the digital domain, with much more precision and ease for recall. I love it, but I don't feel the need to work with analog gear anymore.

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

A: I'm gonna do absolutely everything to make your music sound as exciting as possible. I offer a premium mastering service in which every song is treated for the best possible sound, without compromise. No matter what, we're gonna make sure we have the best sound your music can achieve.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: The most important things in music production are the music itself, the arrangement, good musicians and the recording quality. These steps are the ones you must be quite serious about. Mixing and mastering are important steps, of course, but If you don't have good music, well arranged, well played and well recorded, you don't have much to be mixed or mastered.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Experienced ears, boldness and courage.