Top 40s modern pop sound. Sounds similar to The Weeknd, BTS, Lewis Capaldi, Taylor Swift. From up-tempo to down-tempo, let's turn scratch ideas into radio-ready songs.
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About John:
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AKA Jab Russell, produced for upcoming artists like Michael Joh, DIVNE, Zach Jay, SHAHEER and Austin Rose. Producer for Michael Joh's Silence with 1M+ views on YouTube. Former instrumentalist for Ascendia.
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Click the Contact button and let's get started!
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Production:
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We can start with whatever recordings you already have of your project (or it can even be as simple as just lyrics on a page). We'll create the right elements to support the core idea, then massage the whole thing together until it's got that big sound you're looking for.
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Mixing & Mastering:
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I'll start with the multitrack (whether provided by you or from our ongoing production) and carve out space to make everything fit together like puzzle pieces, so you can hear everything clear as day.
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Editing / Comping / Tuning:
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We'll fix blemishes by tuning elements and editing/comping different takes together to get your perfect performance.
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Let's Work!
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To get started, message me about what you're looking for and an audio sample/reference. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.
14 Reviews - 1 Repeat Client
Endorse John Abanador
check_circleVerified (Client)Jab was amazing to work with, his production was truly excellent and very well prepared for mixing. We nailed the mix within a few revisions and the results are great. Looking forward to next time!
check_circleVerified (Client)Jab is THE MAN! Killer first gig together. Beast of a track, great songwriting, amazing vision and communication throughout that ultimately brought a fantastic end result. A true pro. Would work for any day and you should too. Easy 6/5!!
check_circleVerified (Client)One of the best guys to work with, the music was great and fun to work on and the communication was super professional and friendly, would love to work with John again and again!
check_circleVerified (Client)GREAT time working with John, thoroughly professional and super detail oriented!
check_circleVerified (Client)Working with John has been an excellent experience. Very nice person, delivered everything on time and was patient and respectful with my work. Hope to work with him again soon!
check_circleVerified (Client)John is a talented producer that knows exactly what he is going for on his projects. He has a great ear and is very thorough. I love the amount of detail that goes into his work.
Jab’s attention to detail and ability to translate ideas into finished products are hugely underrated.
I worked with Jab on the first song I've ever tried to write and he was fantastic. He was patient, dealt with all of my bullshit, and had the unique talent of drawing out and polishing musical inspiration from me.
Jab has an incredibly sensitive (perfect pitch) ear and has the theory and technical understanding to put that to use. His insight in production spans from the high level, abstract song-writing methodologies and structures to the minute flourishes and notes in the middle of a riff. I've learned a lot from working with Jab, and have certainly become a better musician for it.
I've worked Jab on multiple projects and have witnessed what he is capable of first hand. First things first, he is a great musician with an advanced ear. He always knows what the song needs and/or what is lacking. He also happens to be a great guy to work with. He will tell you how it is and will make sure the job gets done right.
Always a pleasure working with John. He has a way of pushing you to think outside the box and trying new things. I definitely felt like I was becoming a better artist through our sessions.
John is one of the most professional people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. John is extremely talented, he possesses the ability to take your project and elevate it beyond the point you thought possible. He has an immense amount of vision and an exceptional ear. Nothing but praise from my end 🙏
John is fantastic to work with and incredibly knowledgable on the music creation process from start to finish. As a producer, he was an invaluable partner in bringing my vision for a track to life. Additionally, as a mixing/mastering engineer, he was able to bring a level of polish to the completed projects that I didn't think was even possible beforehand.
You can count on John to breathe life into your projects and get you where you want to go, no matter where you're at in the creative process.
Working with John made both the creative and technical sides of recording comfortable and fluid, creating an environment that strives for the highest quality without sacrificing the delicate free flow of creation. It’s clear that John’s goal isn’t making a product so much as sharpening and enhancing others’ artistry.
I collaborated with John on two tracks. He puts a really wonderful level of detail into his mixes. It’s great to see someone with a strong understanding of the intricacies of what makes a track great. Highly recommend.
Interview with John Abanador
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Max Martin, Bruno Mars, JYP, PSY, Collapsedone, Teddy Park
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: Recently produced a track with a client. This new track was in a genre that I haven't done much of before. It was taking a long time and quite frankly I wasn't sure how good the song was going to be. In the end it worked out, and I'm proud of it because it was probably the hardest thing I've done to get right. The track I'm most proud of is the first record I was ever hired to produced for an artist. I just learned so much from that project. It's a big deal because I now do this professionally and that is where I started. gooed the song would be, but we worked through the writing and production and eventually got the song out there. I was doubting at first but the release turned out better than expected.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Currently working on an EP for a rock/indie artist up in Toronto Canada.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Guy Gabriel
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: You'll get something you're happy with, guaranteed or your money back.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I get to make something that adds to other people's lives.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Customer: "Can you make it sound like X?" John: "I can do better, I can make X sound like it's yours"
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital, because it's easier to get started with everything.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: The misconception is that what we do is simply following a generic formula. Rather, it's more correct to say that we use whatever necessary techniques to correct one-by-one all the parts of the music that doesn't sound right. This is a way to reliably make music in a limited amount of time.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What songs or artists inspire you? The song we create should fit who you are.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Keyboards, guitars, laptop, interface, headphones. Enough to get the job done.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: Been doing this maybe 15 years. Started in high school making my own remixes. Then got involved with writing for local bands. Then started to make productions for up and coming artists.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Pop in general is my style, but one of the things I'm especially good at is heavy, dense, and intricate music.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: JYP. He's someone who has literally turned his vision in music into a literal world class entertainment company.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Pop music with influences of Hip Hop, Rock, Soul, and Rnb.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Software: Cubase Pro running plugins including NI, SoundToys, Waves and FabFilter. Hardware: Adam Audio Monitors, Sonarworks SoundID Reference, NI controllers
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: A clean production and polish.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Hire a specialist rather than a jack of all trades.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Hit save. a lot.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Attention to detail.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Ideally I try for (1) songwriting/arranging/producing then (2) review/iterating then (3) mixing/mastering then (4) review/iterate.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Lately it's been where a client has recorded their own vocals and some basic instrumentation, and they come to me to turn it into a full-blown production.
I was the Producer (all), and Mixing/Mastering Engineer (select) in this production
- ProducerAverage price - $250 per song
- Mixing EngineerAverage price - $150 per song
- Mastering EngineerAverage price - $100 per song
- Beat MakerAverage price - $150 per song
- Ghost ProducerAverage price - $200 per song
- Songwriter - LyricAverage price - $70 per song
- Songwriter - MusicAverage price - $70 per song
Up to 3 revisions in production, and up to 3 revisions for mixing/mastering. Revisions after that are $25 each. Turnaround time for first version is within 10 days.
- The Weeknd
- Lewis Capaldi
- BTS
- Cubase Pro
- Adam Audio Monitors
- Sonarworks SoundID Reference
- Native Instruments
- Soundtoys
- and of course Sausage Fattener
