Mixer, Producer, Engineer

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

A: I am so proud to have worked as an engineer on Paramore's "Burning Down the House" cover. It was a dream come true to be in a room with a band and producer - Carlos de la Garza - that I had spent so much time studying and just being a super fan of.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: More productions and mixes for independent artists!

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

A: Bella Corich is a fantastic vocal producer, engineer, editor, tuner & Mastering Engineer!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog for recording - the distortion is nicer on the ear, there is a different soundstage you cannot get with digital equipment. Digital for mixing - 100% recallable every time, templates, and as many 1176's as you want.

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

A: We will get your music to a place that you are 100% happy to share with the world.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Mixing feels very much like playing a familiar video game that is completely different every time you come back to it.

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

A: "What is your turn around time?" Anywhere between 3 -10 days depending on work load and availability

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

A: That mixing is a quick and easy process. Mixing takes a lot of time organizing - physically & sonically, lots of lostening and referencing on different devices and lots of bounces before sending off a first pass.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What do you want your music and image to say? What elements of my work are you thinking will pair best with what you are looking for?

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

A: Get all your ideas down in a clear and concise list so that I can address so that i make sure to get all of our notes and ideas heard.

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

A: I would take a 251 Mic, Neve 1084 preamp/EQ, 1176 Blue Stripe compressor, a Quad Cortex and my Fender Telecaster

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

A: I started teaching myself the art of recording when I was 12 years-old on a TASCAM DP-02 Portastudio that I got for Christmas one year. I started to record the songs I made with my friends and fell more in love with the "Behind the Glass" side of music making. I played in a band for 5 years in high school, we recored an album during that time and then I went on to study Music Production & Engineer at Berklee College of Music. After graduating in 2020, I worked at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles as a runner and then staff engineer for 3 years before going freelance.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I don't like to over complicate my decision making & usually follow my first instinct. With that said I am always open to new ideas and new directions especially when working with artists. The best producers in the world give all ideas a try to find the best ones.

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

A: I would love to work wth the Foo Fighters. I've been lucky enough to work with Green Day & Paramore - both of which shaped my taste in music growing up. The Foo Fighters are the last bucket list band I would love to get to pull the curtain back on & I think they would be such a fun group to be in the studio with.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When approaching a mix, I take in to account genre & typical mix attributes for the style and start from there. Normally on Pop mixes i will start with the vocals and bass & fill in from there. On a rock track I'll normally start bottom up and get as much energy as possible out of the track.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Do what feels right, and don't overthink it. Your Instinct means something.

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

A: I usually produce, engineer, and mix rock music, and am no stranger to mixing popular style music.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is recording and mixing acoustic and live instruments. In an era where most music is made in the box, being able to add a different flavor will help you stand out in a sea full of amazing music.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a groove oriented background to a song. I know what a good song feels like, and I know how to get the listener to move.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I mix and do home recordings on my Universal Audio Apollo 8p and Apollo twin. I Monitor with Adam A7X's as well as a pair of reference monitors that I built myself. I have a large library of Arturia Synthesizer plugins for modern production sounds.

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

A: I'm most inspired by producers and engineers like Joel Hamilton, Jaime Sickora, Jack Douglass, and Nile Rodgers; All of whom I have had the pleasure of working with as an engineer or assistant engineer.

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

A: I most frequently work as a mixing engineer and/or recording engineer for my clients. I have experience making records and mixing in large format professional recording studios, as well as in private home or bedroom studios.