Face-Melting Rock Mixes

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Can you share a band or song you love? What do you like about their sound? What are your goals with music overall?

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

A: Don't be afraid to ask questions up front to get all of the information you need to make an informed decision when hiring a provider. It can be hard to put sounds into words, but try your best!

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

A: My laptop, hand-built MicParts T-47 condenser mic, Scarlett 2i2 audio interface, KRK Roket 5 monitors, and Arturia MiniLab II controller

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

A: I've been doing this for about 9 years. I took a few classes in-person in Seattle on mixing and recording, apprenticed with a audio engineer co-worker who I became friends with in the aviation industry, and have also done a handful of online courses. I started getting into freelancing in 2015, and have continued trying to get more into it this year in 2024.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I like to make stuff feel like you can bang your head to it. Punchy drums, loud guitars, a nice overall crunchiness.

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

A: Tycho - I love their sound aesthetic and have been hooked on them for the past 10 years. Their mix of electronic and acoustic instruments just works. They also don't always have vocals which I appreciate, because lyrics aren't huge for me in music.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Being a 'gear slut' can stall your productivity. Find products that work for you, and if you like the sound, use it. Shiny object syndrome is so easy to fall to, especially in this industry where the technology is constantly changing. It's ok to keep up with the tech, but jut be mindful of if it's affecting your productivity goals as a musician.

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

A: Usually anything in the rock genre, but I also like pop, singer-songwriter, and electronic/IDM.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Being empathetic to my client's goals, but also offering to guide them when it seems like they need help.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: The "ah-ha" moment of satisfaction for the client when they finally hear their song as a finished product that they're satisfied with. Here are some testimonials I've gotten in the past: "OMFG! It sounds soooo good!!" "This sounds badass man! I love it." "I really dig it Mark. You did a really great job! I'm glad you fixed the timing issues/volume spiking."

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: 1. Establish a good relationship with my client 2. Import their tracks into my DAW 3. Organize the project tracks - group like instruments, group by colors, make track stacks, bussing, etc. 4. Edit or comp tracks if needed 5. Adjust gain - bring up track gain if way too quiet 6. Rough mix - balance out instruments with faders, adjust panning 7. EQ 8. Compression 9. Spacial effects - delay, reverb, etc. 10. Ear candy - automation, special effects, anything specific the client wants to hear 11. Bounce and send to client for revisions 12. Make changes to mix from revision requests 13. Repeat revision process as necessary from contract agreement 14. Final bounce 15. Retrospective at end of project with client for feedback

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work entirely in the box. Here's an overview of my gear: -Rokit KRK 5s -Scarlett 2i2 -Macbook Air -Logic Pro DAW -I use a lot of different plugins, but my favorites are Waves analog emulators like the NLS Channel.

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

A: Mikael "Count" Eldridge, Eddie Kramer, Andrew Schepps, Andy Johns, Trent Reznor, Joe Barresi

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

A: I most often am a mixing engineer for my clients. But I also can do production, songwriting, and play guitar.