Mixing & Mastering Engineer

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

A: I worked on a project with Lache on his "My Emotions" album. I mixed and mastered 5 out of the 15 songs and those five songs ended up being his top tracks for a while. I've worked on a lot of projects that I'm superbly proud of, but this moment was mind-blowing to me at the time. The streams on Spotify and the stars on Apple Music were so satisfying to look at; seeing the mixes and masters you were in charge of perfecting get the most recognition is a huge blessing.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am currently producing and engineering for multiple client's albums and singles.

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

A: At the moment, I am not too familiar with all who share this platform. However, I do expect to network with others as I'm willing to collaborate and learn from fellow engineers. You can never learn too much!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Analog and digital both have their strengths and weaknesses. I enjoy digital because it allows you to be more surgical and precise. Sometimes changing the tone is not what I'm after, rather I'm fixing issues that stand out. I enjoy analog because the distortion, character, and tone that it brings can be so much more pleasing to the ear. I love analog compression and in most cases prefer it over digital, in fact. Having both gives me the best of both worlds, which is great for pro level sonics.

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

A: I will communicate with you as much as possible to ensure that I am not straying away from the vision YOU intended! I am aware that this is YOUR song, therefore what you want is the goal. If I add/expand on the vision positively, that is a plus.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love taking a sound and sculpting it into a work of art. Most people won't ever get to hear the before and after of a polished final track. It is beautiful to playback what you've changed a project into with the processing that YOU utilized.

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

A: How do you get everything loud but crisp in the mix? Proper gain staging, balancing, panning, and use of EQ/compression can really go a long way when it comes to loudness. Especially when you want to push the final limiters to get to that commercial loudness, you have to have a proper balance in the mix for your master to prevail.

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

A: I can only enhance what is given to me. Audio engineers are not miracle workers, but our job does require bringing the most out of a given signal. The better the source, the better the outcome.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Who's sound do you admire the most? What's the most important thing in a mix to you? What are your pet peeves in a mix?

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

A: Aim for a business partner, not just an engineer. Building that relationship with those you work on your craft with could unravel better/consistent growth in sound and creativity. Work with someone who cares about you as well as the music instead of just the money that comes with the service.

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

A: My laptop, Apollo x6, Tube Tech CL-1B, Neve Portico II Master Processor, Adam Audio A7X, (Sennheiser HD650, if laptop is implied).

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

A: I have been a part of music my entire life. Singing in church, performing in talent competitions, open mics, and even pageants. Producing and engineering became a passion at a young age (pre-teens) because of how much I enjoyed being that close to the music. Ever since then, I knew I wanted to do music full time one day. Now that I am doing so, it is a blessing that I will not let go to waste.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Versatile. I have worked on different styles/genres both on a production side as well as engineering side. Sometimes I like to mix genres together to see what unique flavor I can create.

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

A: I would love to work with Chris Brown. I've listened to his growth from a teen to household name in the industry. He has worked with so many different genres, excelling in all of them as well. Him being that versatile is what I describe my production and engineering style to be.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Always keep learning, and never feel like you know everything. The best of the best continue to learn on a daily basis, so why shouldn't you do the same.

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

A: I have a lot of clientele that work on Hip Hop and R&B, but I also enjoy working on Alternative, World, Pop, and Electronic a great deal.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I've grown proficient at balancing a mix for mastering as well as vocal production. Clarity and depth are of high importance for me.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring high attention to detail as well as a creative mind to help add some life and movement to a record.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: After gathering a client's files, I organize the session, set up a reference, then start my static mix (setting levels and panning). Once I feel I've gotten a solid mix with no plugins, this is when I start to sculpt the sonics. I clean up the vocals, low end, and mid range simultaneously to guarantee a clean mix. After that foundation is set, then I add creative processing (reverbs, delays, flangers, filters, distortion, etc.). While doing this, I am still checking my reference to keep my balance in check. I take 10 minute breaks intermittently throughout the session to avoid ear fatigue and bad changes. Once I feel the song is finished, I bounce the mix out into a master session and take a 30-45 minute break in another room. When I come back, I have a fresh perspective of the mix and continue to master the track while still using the reference. Once I feel my master is commercially competitive, I take another 10 minute break to make sure I like what my master gives. When I like it, I bounce the final out into an MP3 and two WAV files (24-bit, 16-bit) and send them to the artist.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work in a strategically treated room using professional panels/basstraps from GIK Acoustics. In order to handle phasing and listening accuracy issues, I use room correction software from Sonarworks. I work with a hybrid analog system, using two hardware compressors, an equalizer, and preamplifier. All of which connect to my Apollo x6 Heritage Edition while also using an Apollo Twin as a controller. I also utilize multiple monitor setups such as the Yamaha HS7's, PreSonus Eris e3.5's, and an Avantone Mixcube. This allows me to have plenty of reference points to ensure a solid mix.

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

A: I gain so much inspiration from engineers like MixedbyAli, 40 Shebib, and Leslie Brathwaite; producers like Timbaland, KAYTRANADA, Kanye West; artists like Chris Brown, Eric Bellinger, and Kendrick Lamar.

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

A: I mix and master records, instrumentals, podcasts, and short films for clients.