Top Class Mixing and Mastering

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

A: Nasty C - Strings and Bling Album. I am the mixing and mastering engineer on this album. Although as an enginner and creative person you always feel you can improve upon work that you have done the minute you listen to it outside the studio, I was really proud of this album because of the outstanding feedback that I have received from everyone that has listened to it. More that what I did it is the feedback from people that make me proud of the work.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Nasty C singles, Sauti Sol Album 2020, DRP Album and NGA 7 song project and various other projects.

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

A: I am new to the platform and hope to meet more people.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Hybrid. At low sample rates (44.1kHz & 48kHz) digital still suffers some side effects but processing outboard and bring back to DAW helps to reduce those without having to work at 96kHz for every project. Also there is a certain vibe that cannot be technically explained at times that Analogue bring to the table thats very hard to feel on digital.

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

A: Promise to give the my best efforts and a little more than any other mixing and mastering engineer.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Client satisfaction. It is the most rewarding feeling when a client cannot stop talking about the work that you have done to make the song come alive.

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

A: What do you think of the song --> I give them my honest opinion.

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

A: Its that mixing can take a poorly recorded song and make sounds high quality like chart toppers. Although mixing can improve the song quality but if the quality of production and recording is good we can take the song to the utmost quality.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What do you want your listeners to feel? Give me as much references as possible for the direction that you want your mix to follow. Whats your deadline?

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

A: Analyze very carefully what you need. Hire the best producers that you can afford. Make sure your vocals are recorded with high quality microphones and preamps and a good acoustic space (they are your perfomance). The elements used to make a good a quality mix need to be good quality also. i.e. You cannot make a Rolly Royce with Toyota parts even with the Rolly Royce designer and engineers working on it.

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

A: 1. DAW (MacBook Pro with all my plugs), 2. Genelec 8050 (with stands), 3. Apogee Symphony MKII, 4. UAD-2 Satellite, 5. Clariphonic

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

A: To simplify a long story. Started as music producer around 1996 and from 1999 started mixing and mixing has worked out really well (according to client satisfaction) that I have never stopped since then. In 2019 I am now 20 years Mixing and Mastering.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Well I would say clean, warm, loud and punchy. Because those are the elements that I like to get on everything mix because most people/clients identify and enjoy them.

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

A: Charlie Puth - The attention to detail in the production is simple of another level, really inspires one to take mixing to another level.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Build instruments according to their frequencies. Remove what is not necessary (Keep it Simple). Don't forget to make space for the Vocals during the production stage, it becomes complicated in the mixing process.

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

A: Mostly Hip Hop, Afro Beat, R&B, Pop.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Mixing. Clarity and Bringing life to the Music.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Maintaining important elements that the client wants on a song. Bring about creative elements such as breaks, stops and other out of the world effect that complement the song. If the song feels like it needs them I put them and if it does not feel like it needs them, keep it simple.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Listen carefully to client demo or rough mix to understand balance and most important elements. Build upon that, maintaining the balance but bring about quality and clarity and needed separation of instruments and frequencies. Add that extra "Mike" flavor that I am know for.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Mac Mini latest, Cubase 10 Pro, Pro Tools 12, Genelec 8050a, iLoud Micro Monitors, Apogee Symphony MKII, UAD-2 Satellite, All Plugin Alliance Plugins, Most Waves, Most Kush Audio Plugins and various other hardware and secrets :)

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

A: Manny Marroquin, Jaycen Joshua, Dave Pensando

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

A: Mixing and Mastering.