Manu Iriarte on SoundBetter

First song is free. Owner of El Álamo Estudio since 2017, drumming and writing songs since 2005. I'm one of the best rock/heavy metal mixers in the area and one of the best drummers as well. In every project my ultimate goal is to exceed the costumer's expectations, and I usually achieve it.

Hi, I'm Manu from Argentina. I've been in music industry for over 10 years as a musician and engineer. I also teach at Patagonic University of Arts and became the institute's live sound operator 3 years ago. I love making records and bringing to life artists' ideas. I take every project as a challenge and I don't stop until fulfilling customer's vision. My biggest achievements are related to Rock and Heavy Metal music, but I love the adventure of working with any genre such as Pop, Reggae, Folk, Hip Hop.
I cover every stage of the process of making an album, but mixing is what I really love and what I think is my strongest hability. So if you already recorded your songs and need an affordable yet reliable mixer, you should check what I can do. You won't regret. Also if you need a Pop/Rock/Reggae/Folk drummer, I'm your guy.
I will mix or play one song for free so you can see what my skills are.

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

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English
Spanish

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Interview with Manu Iriarte

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I'll do my best to get the results they want. They won't regret and will be proud of their own creation.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love the process of bringing music to life and being able to put a little of me in every song.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What do they want to provoke in the audience? Do I have creative freedom in the process? Name 3 favorite albums based on their sound style and quality
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started playing drums at 11 years old (I'm 30) and started mixing songs 12 years ago. First I worked with my own band's material and as I was improving my skills, other music collegues started to trust me their songs. I created my own studio in 2017 and started teaching in University in 2020.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: You have to connect the artist's vision with the song and aim to fulfill that goal without leaving aside your own professional judgement.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I would say pop/rock mixings and drum tracks are my best.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I can find the song's essence and soul and design its own vessel. It can be a strong and solid vessel or a more soft, sensitive and refined one.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: For a mixing project I would start listening the song several times in order to discover and feel its escence, its soul. After that I would create a project on Cubase separating track by track and start messing around with the drums compression and EQ. When I feel drums have a body and presence for themselves, I do the same with the bass, followed by guitars, keys, synths and vocals. Once I defined every instrument's character, I start to experiment the effects that will make the mix more "alive". I consider mixing as a non-linear process so I would come back to previous actions in order to confirm my decitions or find a better option. When I feel satisfied with the result, I send a preview to the client to define the last details.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have Focusrite, Tascam and Presonus interfaces. Shure SM57, B52 and SM81 mics and a pair of AKG C214 for achieving the best live drum shots. I have a Gretsch acoustic drum kit with Soultone cymbals and a Medeli electronic kit.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Trent Reznor, David Bowie, Steven Wilson
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I'm usually hired as a mixing engineer and as a session drummer.