Remote Mixing + Production

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

A: I recently co-wrote and produced a song called "Feels Good" with my friend Cass XQ. It was recently featured on "On My Block" on Netflix, and it felt good to see the Latin X energy of the show fused with our music. I work in Downtown Los Angeles, and felt a lot of pride in Cass and the work that we did to make that song happen.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I have an independent label that I am always writing for and producing projects for like: The TVC, Cass XQ, Riley and the Roxies, and Monako Davis.

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

A: Josh Del, he's a great songwriter. I had the pleasure of producing an EP for him that I am super proud of.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital, it is the great equalizer. I'm not interested in finding out how producer's got "rich" and bought all the nice gear, don't get me wrong nice gear helps, but creativity and artistry always comes first. Digital has eliminated the gate keepers, I would not be where I am today if it weren't for this digital revolution we are living in.

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

A: I grew up in LA County listening to classic rock with my dad: Led Zeppelin, Prince, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen. As an artist I fell in love with singers who could create a vibe with their voice: Amy Winehouse, Lana Del Rey, Lykke Li, Rihanna, Frank Ocean, Charli XCX. When I'm at a music festival, I'm always trying to catch bands like: White Reaper, Sunflower Bean, The Voidz, King Princess, Clairo, Wallows. I love to step into the artistry of the music, and not get caught up in genre.

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

A: I specialize in mixing services for artists who are looking for an engineer/producer who understands their sound. I love taking a song to the next level by going above and beyond when the track calls for it, or staying out of the way when it simple needs a few minor tweaks to make it shine.

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

A: I promise to care very deeply about the success of your project.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love that I'm just as excited about my job today, as I was when I was in 4th grade learning how to play "Good Times, Bad Times" by Led Zeppelin on the drums.

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

A: Q: How do I get my song on TV, Film, and ADs? A: Work with producers and songwriters who have had experience getting their song on TV. Dive into your process and your work ethic, and figure out how to sustainably write and produce music while receiving critical feedback as you evolve and get better with every project.

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

A: I don't just turn knobs to make your song louder or more "trendy", I bring an understanding of what's going on in culture, and how this art form of mixing, and production can influence your project to resonate in a way that the song deserves to be heard.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What's your goal for this project? What's your timeline? Who inspires you? What have been some of the challenges you've faced with this project? If nobody heard this project, would you still do it? What's your communication style like? What are some things that other producers/mixers have done in the past that didn't gel with your work ethic?

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

A: You are a leader, your job is to get the most out of your collaborators, you set the tone on your project. Your communication, process, diligence, and work ethic allows others to succeed. Consistency is key, every new collaboration gets better over time, if there's a chemistry and a mutual respect than pursue it and don't look back.

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

A: Computer, Apollo, SM7, Fender Telecaster, and a Vintech 473.

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

A: I got my first drum set in 4th grade, immediately became hooked on it. By sixth grade my sister told me, "if I give you my guitar will you stay out of my room?", she also let me sit in on her one single guitar lesson. It was enough for me, I had learned what a "guitar tab" was, and I now had a guitar. From there I started singing, and once my sister's got laptops, I became a producer. I went from Garageband to Logic Pro (shout out to Wes Period who taught me how to really produce). I've been working with Reuben Cohen (Game of Thrones, Marvel, Foo Fighters) at Lurssen Mastering since I was 19, and we've built a sonic partnership that has really helped me learn and grow a lot due to our collaboration on my projects.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I am a shape shifter, my style is to be open and humble, and do what the song asks of me. I have influences, but every day I hear something new, the only consistent part about my process is my process, and that is to be open and receive inspiration wherever it comes from.

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

A: I would love to work with Pharrell. I admire his energy, work ethic, and catalog. He's build a genre-bending career, and stays working with the most exciting artists of our time. Pharrell brings an openness and humility to his work, and I think he's cracked the code on collaboration.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: As much as you can, listen to your music quietly while you're working on it. Someone once told me "loud speakers are just pure vanity". When you listen to your music quietly, you end up making it more dynamic and three dimensional because you're listening to it more closely. Mix with the iPhone speaker in mind, not your amazing system, I've often found when your mix translates well in tiny air buds, or mono speakers it's usually going to kill it in the hi-fi mastering studio or on someone's custom system. The louder your speakers are the more "hyped you'll feel" but the less "loud" it will sound when someone else plays it quietly or when it gets played on tv or at the grocery store.

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

A: I usually work on alternative/indie projects ranging from: Hip-Hop, Pop, Rock, and Singer-Songwriter.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Vocal production and mixing.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: As a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer, I bring a little bit of everything with an emphasis on making songs have a kinetic energy that you can feel through your speakers. I think of music as a three dimensional force that should be felt more than just simply "heard" through your speakers. I use percussive elements, and dynamics to support the vocal.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I work full time on music production and mixing. My typical day is about 8-10 hours, my aim is to deliver client projects quickly and efficiently. I have a workflow that allows me to instantly recall mixes, and deliver streamable files to clients within moments of finishing a mix.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: For monitoring and mixing I use Dynaudio BM15A studio monitors, DT770 Pro Headphones, as well as Yamaha HS50 for referencing mixes in mono. My interface is an Apollo 8 with 2 external UAD2 cards. For recording I use a Vintech 473, Vintage Bae 312 (API), Reddi DI, and a Universal Audio 610. My plug-in library includes 100s of Plug-ins from: Universal Audio, Sound Toys, Izotope, Native Instruments, Splice, Waves, Arturia, Steven Slate, and more.