Mix engineer

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

A: Tamy Steven's album, "The Inbetween." She is my daughter, so I'm obviously proud of her. But she's also very picky and wanted everything on that album exactly how it came out. I'm very proud we accomplished that.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Outfitting and upgrading my studio. Always a work in progress.

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

A: No.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. Convenience.

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

A: I will do my very best to ensure a quality product.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: It's satisfying to know that I was able to join creativity with someone else and create a masterpiece.

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

A: How long is this going to take? It depends on the quality of your recording and production, but I always try to turn around mixes as quickly as possible without sacrificing quality. How much will this cost? See my listed rates, but it does depend a lot on the number of tracks and workload involved.

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

A: That anybody can do it! Mixing is a fine art. Just because you have a laptop and some plug-ins doesn't mean you can mix at a professional level.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What type of sound are you looking for? What do you hope to achieve with this project?

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

A: Organize your tracks, avoid distortion and communicate clearly.

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

A: MacBook Pro, AKAI MPK Mini, MPC, Blue Mix-fi Headphones, iPhone

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

A: The journey has been about 30+ years.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Clean. Subtle. Minimalistic. Tasteful.

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

A: Busta Rhymes because of his energy. He's got crazy energy! Off the charts. I love that about him.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Stay fresh, stay current, BUT be original!

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

A: Hip-Hop, R&B, gospel

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Critical listening. Nothing gets by me. Especially distortion! I pay great attention detail.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Creativity. I bring musicality. I bring 30+ years of experience to the signature sound that I have worked to create.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My typical work process with clients comes in these 6 steps described on my website: https://www.seraphymaudio.com/book-a-mix Once I get the organized stems and reference tracks from my client, then I organize the workspace and go to work! Mixing is a very creative process for me. I really try to keep the musicality of every production by not over-compressing but I also will do what the client wants to achieve the sound you are after.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is outfitted with a MacPro 6.1, a Focusrite Red4Pre interface with Dante, JBL LSR4326 monitors along with Avantone Mix Cubes, Avid Artist Mix and Avid Artist Transport, TC Electronic 2290 Delay and TCDV5-250 Reverb, TC Electronic Clarity M Metering, Softube Console 1, and other outboard gear that enhances my workflow and allows me to create amazing mixes for you. In the box, I mix in StudioOne or ProTools and use a slew of plug-ins from SoundToys to Sonible. See my Gear Highlights section for a small sampling of my plug-in palette.

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

A: Leslie Brathwaite, Earth, Wind and Fire, Tom Lord-Alge, Tony Maserati,

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

A: Mix engineering. Mastering available upon request.