Hip-Hop mixing/mastering

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I think, ultimately, it doesn't actually matter at this point. It's a tired conversation that nerds like to have, and I enjoy it as well, as I'm one of them. But clients and listeners literally could not care less. What they want is a good song of high quality that they love. That is literally it. No one cares how you get there as long as you get there. But, ideally, as engineers and professionals, I think we like to have both because we just like things. We like shiny things. We like new things. We like sexy objects with sleek design, smooth knobs, and we like plugins that look cool. We want it all constantly. So it's a moot point to be frank, haha. But it's not necessary or even necessarily efficacious for a variety of reasons to have both or endless options. The best tool is your mind. How you use what you have. Your taste. Your judgement. Everything else is just noise.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My taste, without a doubt. Which can almost be overlooked as a skill because you don't necessarily acquire it in the same way you acquire, say, guitar playing ability. Taste is a refinement that stems from a bit of nature and a bit of nurture. It pulls from both ends. Things can fall out of fashion with you, then later fall back into fashion. But ultimately, being able to feel, not just know but feel that something is exceptional and why, is both an innate ability, at least at first, that gets refined and honed in via experience, wisdom, and depth as you go. Which is as close to skill acquisition as you can get without needing to sit and drill exercises.

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

A: Be honest with yourself about where you're at, truly. Be honest about the quality of your work, what you're willing to give to it, what your goals really are, and what your means (budget) really looks like. Regardless of the answers, it's totally okay as long as its legitmately the truth. And the answer of one of this questions will typically inform or convert the answer of others. So, for instance, if the quality of your product is objectively really good by way of structure, arrangement/composition, and/or has a unique perspective that fills a whitespace, but lacks in quality of mixing/mastering, that's worth investing the money into bringing it to a professional level. But maybe your goals are more localized than big big dreams, you know? In that case, is it worth investing mixing/mastering at top dollar? Or should you just get your buddy who dabbles in it to take a crack at a free mix and master? Or maybe you skip it entirely and throw the mf on YouTube and call it a day. Hey, it might blow up. From there, your goals may change. So it all entirely depends on the actual direction of your goals and intentions. Don't be one of those people who want to learn tennis but spend all their time buying high-end equipment yet, do not take the time to learn tennis. You see what I'm saying? It's not a perfect analogy but it fits well enough, haha. Don't spend money on something you might not really need in the long run. And at a certain level, execution is execution regardless of who's doing it. So everyone on here is going to bring with them a certain level of technical ability that your buddy down the street probably doesn't have. So you could, in essence, pick anyone as long as the project is in their wheelhouse, right? So that's not really the deciding factor. It becomes a matter of who you vibe with. Who do you think is going to bring something that no one else can bring to what you do? Even if that thing is as simple as a long-lasting relationship or a new perspective on the craft. Or who do you think you'd like to have a beer with after work? It's the adage of golf course deals, you know? A lot of big deals are made simply because people like each other. It's that simple. So, don't overthink the technical aspect when you're sifting through a giant pool of technically proficient individuals. Find your person. And look through their work and see what you really like about it so you can relay that to them efficiently, like: "Oh dang, this song is so open and large that's what I want. And this other song here, the snare is so unique, that's super cool. Oh, and this other song, the vocal has an effect that gives it a 3D image. I like that a lot." Take your time with the selection, but don't get decision fatigue and become paralyzed. Listen to your gut and intuition. You should be fine.