Luis Calil

Mixing, Mastering, Producer

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15 Reviews (12 Verified)
Luis Calil on SoundBetter

I'm a mixing and mastering engineer - and producer - from Brazil. I'm very good at all of those things, according to the critically acclaimed artists I've worked with (and also my mom). I own a recording studio, but I'm looking to do more remote work and get to know artists from other places. Also, I'm cheap because I don't have a Grammy (yet).

I live in Brazil, where I own a recording studio and work with various artists from around the country. I'm also a songwriter, singer and producer in an alternative rock band, so I got a musician's perspective as well as the technical knowledge. (ugh, that came out a little pompous, didn't it?)

I'm hoping to do more remote mixing and mastering work, and to offer my services to people from all over the globe. I thrive on diversity, challenges, and discovering new music (and bourbon).

I'm a great communicator, and I like to hear everything the client has to say about his music - and get as many examples and references as I can - before I start to work. My job is to get the recording you have to sound as close to what's in your head as humanly possible.

I can do clean, polished, lush-sounding mixes, or bring a rawer or noisier aesthetic to the sound. It's up to the song (and the client) to give me the direction to take. I work fast, if necessary, and I'm only done when the client says I am. Revisions are not a problem.

I'll also do your laundry and cook you some eggs, but the plane tickets are on you.

Check out the SoundCloud tracks on the right to hear some of my work.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

15 Reviews - 3 Repeat Clients

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  1. Review by Steve J.
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    Excellent work again.

  2. Review by Steve J.
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    Excellent work as usual.

  3. Review by Steve J.
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    Another high quality, professional mix and master from Luis.

  4. Review by Steve J.
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    Great working with Luis as always.

    Really impressed with his ability to make the song shine with his mixing skills.
    Hope to work with him in the future on all our tracks.

  5. Review by Steve J.
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    Great to work with Luis on our track.
    Very responsive and quick to get back and great work on the mix.
    Really pleased with the results. Will be working with Luis again in the future.

  6. Review by James & John
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    Great job as always with luis. fast turn around and great communicator

  7. Review by Patryk R.
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    Give the man credit he clearly deserves!
    It's all about magic - his magic!
    Thank you Luis!

  8. Review by Patryk R.
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    Patient, hard working and very helpful. Luis showed up and did his thing.
    Man, I'm just super happy with the results of our collaboration.
    Much love. Peace.

  9. Review by Jakub T.
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    Luis did a great job! Professional, patient & precise in delivering all the fixes to our feedback. We're super happy with the result!

  10. Review by James & John
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    Highly recommend working with Luis. Really goes that extra mile for you and very responsive to your comments in a positive way

  11. Review by Maia R.
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    Amazing producer, very professional and all of his work is of great quality. Produced a lot of work under a short time limit and all the work was extremely professional. Would definitely recommend working with him!

  12. Review by Simone D.
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    Luis is surely a great musician and an amazing mixing and mastering engineer! He worked for my track Colors in the last weeks. We both weren't in a hurry and he left me many days to check on different systems (I asked for some changes that kindly arrived) and at the end…what an amazing job! Gonna work with him again for sure

  13. Review by Tino Z.
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    It's been wonderful working with Luis, and we've found him to be a team player on our song. He took what was a basic lifeless song, and put a Midas touch on it, so do not be fooled by his fee; for it did not reflect exactly what we were getting. With every revision done, he has payed very close attention to detail. Thanks Luis, wish you success!!!

  14. Review by Wanderson
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    by Wanderson

    Working with Luis on my new album! So far, it has been great! Very talented and capable engineer and I'm excited by the results! Thank you!

  15. Review by Rodrigo
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    by Rodrigo

    I worked with Luis on the recording of my band's (Supernova) second EP. He mixed and mastered the songs, and it turned out gorgeous. I actually came to him because the price he asks is way below average, so I wasn't expecting much. But I was pleasantly surprised, and will return to him on my next record.

Interview with Luis Calil

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

  2. A: "When can you do your amazing, magical work on my songs again?" "When you're done paying for the other ones, son."

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

  4. A: I learned to mix because I couldn't find anyone to get my own band's record to sound any good, and certainly not the way it sounded in my head. So that's what started it all, and it's when I learned the most.

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

  6. A: I'm new here.

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

  8. A: I promise to work as hard as I can to make your music sound as great as you want it to be. And I'll cook you some mean scrambled eggs if you happen to be in town.

  9. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  10. A: Making music sound good for a living - what's not to like?

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

  12. A: Usually, a bad recording cannot be saved in mixing or mastering (although I'll always give it my best shot).

  13. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  14. A: What do you mean 'I'm funny'? Funny like I'm a clown, like I amuse you? I make you laugh? I'm here to fuckin' amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny?

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

  16. A: I'd suggest you listen to some of the stuff the provider has done (although just because he hasn't done stuff that's similar to your work, doesn't mean he won't do it or won't be good at it). And I'd also suggest you talk to the person and see if he or she is smart, open and a good communicator. No point in picking a guy who's gonna do whatever he wants to your song and ignore (or misunderstand) your requests.

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

  18. A: Who the f&*% would take music gear to a desert island? Jesus Christ, you guys are weird.

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

  20. A: I've been doing this for about four years, on and off. I've recently set up a studio where I live, so it's basically my full-time job now.

  21. Q: How would you describe your style?

  22. A: Don Draper meets Royal Tenenbaum.

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

  24. A: Bjork. So I can stare at Bjork.

  25. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  26. A: Obvious, but often a problem: Work *hard* on your drum recording. Nothing like shitty drums to make your track sound amateurish or unpleasant.

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

  28. A: I've worked a lot on alternative (or "indie") rock, but I've also done synth pop, electronic music, afrobeat, gospel, rockabilly, folk, country, and even some heavy metal. And that's what I like: diversity. Working on only one kind of music won't get you to learn new stuff and to become a better engineer and producer.

  29. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  30. A: Dart-throwing. I'm pretty awesome at it.

  31. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  32. A: I bring whatever the client asks me to bring. Unless I'm doing actual production work on that track, I feel like my job is to basically get the recorded audio to sound as close as possible to what the client hears in his head. I'm not going to impose an aesthetic on their sound - unless that's what they tell me to do.

  33. Q: What's your typical work process?

  34. A: If I'm mixing, I listen to the song to figure out where I'm supposed to take it (and I'll also listen to references the client might show me). Then, I'll fix and repair and edit the tracks, when necessary, to get the technical stuff out of the way. Only then will I actually begin mixing the song. The process can take from an afternoon to a couple of days, depending on the complexity of the song, number of tracks, and how soon the client needs that mix. If I have time, I like to do a "first draft", work on something else for a little while, and then come back to the song with fresher ears. This will usually reveal lots of areas that could be improved. After I'm satisfied with the mix, I'll send it to the client and get feedback. I want to know what I got wrong and how I can get it to sound closer to what the band or artist is hearing in their head. I'll do as many revisions as necessary, until the client is satisified with the results. And then I'll go throw some darts.

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

  36. A: Artists I'm a fan of: Radiohead, Neil Young, Brian Eno, Bjork, Aphex Twin, Charles Mingus, Fela Kuti, Fleetwood Mac, Beach Boys, and many others. Producers and engineers I admire: Gabriel Roth, Steve Albini (even more so for his hilarious rants), Nigel Godrich, Peter Katis, Greg Calbi, John Cogleton, etc.

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

  38. A: Mixing, mastering and the occasional production. I'm happy to work in all of these capacities. I'm also pretty awesome at darts.

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"Tango" by Bemti & Johnny Hooker

I was the Producer, mixing and mastering engineer in this production

Terms Of Service

I'll alow as many revisions as the client wants in the four months after the first mix is delivered. I ask for 48 hours for each mix or revision, but I can work faster if necessary.

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