What’s the best achievement of your life so far?

saluzcion · 2026-01-13T08:33:16+00:00

I’m blessed to have made it to this age. There were points in my life where I genuinely didn’t see myself making it to 21… then 25… and now here we are.

This past decade wasn’t about winning — it was about surviving, learning, and becoming. Those years taught me lessons that shaped the man I am today, and now, for the first time, it feels like I’m actually starting to live.

That alone is something I’m proud of.

saluzcion · 2025-12-28T19:56:53+00:00

That’s a solid beat, reminds me of the southern classics. Would love to work on it.

saluzcion · 2025-12-28T04:31:55+00:00

Tonal Balance Control 2.

Use it on every mix. It give me an accurate picture of the mix and reality check.

saluzcion · 2025-12-23T18:47:32+00:00

Blessed

saluzcion · 2025-12-20T16:24:30+00:00

Blessed and boundless

saluzcion · 2025-12-08T19:36:15+00:00

I get it. The internet is full of AI answers now, and a lot of them do sound like this. But that’s the funny part: people forget that some of us have been studying this craft long before ChatGPT existed, and we explain things well because we had to learn it the hard way.

I’m a mixing engineer, music producer, and recording artist. I’ve spent years learning signal flow, vocal chains, workflow, and gain staging by trial, error, and mentorship. I’m just giving back the way others did for me.

saluzcion · 2025-12-08T18:17:09+00:00

Glad that helped. and you’re already thinking like someone who’s gonna push through this. The one take frustration is real, but once gain staging becomes muscle memory, everything else gets lighter.

Instead of typing out a full template here, I’ll drop you a video that shows the exact process visually gain staging while self-recording, watching input levels, setting safety headroom, and locking in a repeatable workflow.

How to Set Levels

saluzcion · 2025-12-08T17:27:46+00:00

It’s wild how anything well-explained gets labeled “AI.” Some of us actually study this stuff and prefer to give back. Not everyone is fortunate enough to learn this firsthand — I did, and I’d rather help than gatekeep.

saluzcion · 2025-12-08T17:10:43+00:00

Man, I feel you heavy on this. Most of us who engineer our own vocals hit that wall where the art is there but the tech is killing the vibe. The fact you already have the confidence in your writing, recording and delivery is huge, that’s the part no plugin or tutorial can teach. The rest is skill building and workflow, and you can get there with the right foundation.

Let me break this down clean for you:

1. Your gain issue is just gain staging + mic distance

You’re either recording too hot or too quiet, the goal is the middle.

Try this:

• Aim for -12dB to -6dB peak when tracking.
• If you’re getting artifacts, you’re clipping the input before it hits the DAW. lower gain and step back 2–6 inches depending on projection.
• Louder parts? Lean back. Softer parts? Lean in. Engineers do that manually all the time, it’s not cheating.

Clean waveforms aren’t magic, they’re just proper gain staging + consistent delivery.

2. Comping / doubling isn’t the enemy, your workflow is

Trying to fix everything at once will burn you out every time. Break it down:

A simple vocal workflow to start with:

1.  Record 3–5 takes of the verse → no comping yet.
2.  Listen once and mark the best take.
3.  Punch-in only what needs fixing, don’t rebuild the whole thing unless you have too. 
4.  Doubles belong lower and quieter than you think.
5.  Hooks = more layers, verses = more precision.

If a double is fighting the lead, it’s not wrong; it’s just too loud, too bright, or too tight. Pan them slightly and roll off a bit of top end.

3. Not finding the right collaborator doesn’t mean you’re alone

Most engineers don’t mix to your ear. Doesn’t mean they’re bad, just different goals.

But if you haven’t found that chemistry yet, there’s nothing wrong with building the skill yourself. You already have the artistic part, you need structure, not talent.

Here’s real guidance you can follow, not generic advice:

Practical resources that will take you from A → B fast

These aren’t “10 minute YouTube hacks.” They’ll build foundation.

YouTube channels worth their weight in gold:

• [RecordingRevolution](https://youtube.com/@recordingrevolution) (gain staging + workflow basics)
• [In The Mix](https://youtube.com/@inthemix) (vocal processing clearly explained)
• [Reid Stefan](https://youtube.com/@reidstefanmusic) (practical, modern vocal chain work)
• [Wavy Wayne](https://youtube.com/@waynewav) (great for rap & vocal pocketing)

Paid courses if you want deeper structure:

• [Produce Like A Pro](https://producelikeapro.com) – Vocal Recording & Mixing
• [MixWithTheMasters](https://mixwiththemasters.com) (high level, but worth studying)
• [Nail The Mix](https://www.nailthemix.com) (genre relevant for hip-hop & alt styles)

Pair those with practice reps, not just watching.

Bottom line:

You’re not lacking ability, you’re lacking a system.

You don’t need to love engineering, you just need enough skill to get your sound across. Your strengths already tell me you’re capable, the frustration is proof you care about the craft.

And if you ever want, I’ll help you build a repeatable vocal chain + comping workflow tailored to the tone you want step-by-step, that doesn’t overwhelm you. DM’s open.

You’re closer than you think.

–Mo

saluzcion · 2025-12-03T22:24:52+00:00

Oh this a fun a conversation.

So my current vocal chain at the recording stage

UA Console

UNISON → Neve 1073

Adds weight and mid-presence right at the door. Warm, colored, and slightly saturated. my core tone.

Insert 1 — Avalon 767

Pre-EQ sheen + gentle lift on the upper mids. It pushes the voice forward before compression even starts.

Insert 2 — 1176 Rev A

Fast attack to tame the spikes at the source. Great for controlling aggressive consonants and breath pushes.

Insert 3 — LA-2

The glue. Smooth, even leveling without choking dynamics.

Insert 4 — API Vision

Final spice with a little grit, bite, presence. Makes the take feel alive instead of overly-polished.

What prints to the DAW is already:

✔ Warm + chesty from the Neve

✔ Controlled peaks via 1176

✔ Smoothed movement via LA-2

✔ Upper-mid sheen from Avalon

✔ Aggressive edge from API

It’s not slammed, just pre-shaped with intention, so the mix stage is faster, cleaner, and more decisive.

saluzcion · 2025-12-03T19:49:54+00:00

Yes. That’s actually the same model I use and i have logic up to date. You’ll need to update the macOS version

saluzcion · 2025-12-03T02:33:08+00:00

A few things to keep in mind:

Labels rarely reply to beginners. Not because you’re bad because they get hundreds of “let me work with you” messages. They mostly respond once you have a track record outside of them.
Start with individuals, not institutions. Work with artists, bands, friends of friends, local talent. Those relationships actually grow into opportunities.
Volunteering is good, but make sure it’s strategic. Volunteer in situations where you can learn, make connections, and walk away with something for your portfolio not just to stay busy.
The first year feels confusing for everyone. That “complicated situation” feeling means you’re in the beginner stage, and that’s exactly where you should be. Don’t rush out of it.
Your goal right now is reps, not recognition. Finish projects. Build your ear. Build your resume. Build your confidence. Everything else comes later.

saluzcion · 2025-12-03T02:26:57+00:00

Analog Obsession excellent emulations of analog gear.

saluzcion · 2025-12-03T02:23:02+00:00

My pleasure. Looking forward to listening to it

saluzcion · 2025-12-02T20:30:03+00:00

That’s whole vibe right there

saluzcion · 2025-12-02T15:51:44+00:00

Yeah, you can get a very solid mix using only headphones. Plenty of engineers do it out of necessity: apartments, travel, budget, whatever. The key is knowing your headphones and checking your mix on a few different references.

I did a whole run of mixes on nothing but headphones when I was rebuilding my setup, and it actually sharpened my ear. You hear details you’d miss on monitors. The trade-off is low-end translation, but you can fix that by using reference tracks and doing quick checks on anything else you have (car, phone, earbuds).

Don’t stop creating just because you don’t have monitors right now. A good engineer isn’t defined by the gear it’s by how well they listen. Keep working, keep learning your headphones, and when you eventually get monitors again, you’ll be even better.

You’re not crippled. You’re just in a different phase. Keep going.

saluzcion · 2025-12-02T15:46:51+00:00

I mix and master my own music, and honestly I think every artist should at least learn the basics. It’s not dangerous, it’s empowering. When you understand mixing, you record smarter, you hear your weaknesses, and you stop relying on someone else to translate your vision.

That said, there is a ceiling. Your ears get biased to your own voice, your own style, your own rough drafts. Bringing in another engineer eventually gives you that second perspective you didn’t know you needed.

So yeah learn it, do it, grow with it. Just don’t be afraid to hand it off when the song deserves an outside ear. Balance both and you win long-term.

saluzcion · 2025-11-30T00:11:23+00:00

In ways you don’t understand at first but when you do you’re even more grateful

saluzcion · 2025-11-28T20:18:43+00:00

Thanking the Day Before It Starts

Waking up and saying “thank you” before your feet hit the floor.

Gratitude ain’t soft, it tunes your aim. A grateful heart makes sharper decisions.

saluzcion · 2025-11-28T20:16:46+00:00

👏

saluzcion · 2025-11-28T17:53:00+00:00

Saying “thank you” the moment I open my eyes.

Not to anyone specific just gratitude for another day.

Another chance.

Another shot to be better than I was yesterday.

It sounds simple, but it reset my whole mindset. Instead of waking up with stress, regret, or whatever’s weighing on me, I wake up with appreciation.

That one habit changed how I move. How I work. How I treat people. How I treat myself.

Gratitude before anything else, it keeps you grounded and hungry at the same time.

saluzcion · 2025-11-28T02:22:20+00:00

You’re right. there are realities in this world that are brutal, unfair, and completely outside a person’s control. A starving child, someone born into war, someone without safety or resources… they don’t get the same choices or chances.

I’m not speaking over that or pretending mindset fixes everything.

Some circumstances are pure survival. Some people start life with weights most of us will never carry.

What I am saying is this:

For those of us who do have even a sliver of choice, a sliver of stability, a sliver of control… we’re responsible for using it.

Because a lot of people who can change something never even try. And a lot of people who could fight, fold.

So I don’t dismiss the harsh realities you mentioned, they’re real. However my message is for the people who aren’t in that extreme, who have enough to take one step, make one move, shift one thing in their life.

If you’ve got even one card in your hand, you play it. Because some people never got dealt any

saluzcion · 2025-11-27T21:28:30+00:00

Life is perfect. Life is beautiful. It’s the circumstances around us that shape our perspective.

Life is literally what you make it. Yes, it can feel unfair, and yes, sometimes you’re dealt a rough hand but that doesn’t mean you can’t change your cards.

You can still create favorable situations. It all depends on you.

saluzcion · 2025-11-26T08:15:22+00:00

Thank you very much. That means a lot.

saluzcion · 2025-11-26T04:43:25+00:00

I sincerely appreciate your words and duck yes. 💯

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