Q: Can you share how you first found your way into music and eventually became a mixing engineer?
I actually started preparing for music fairly late—during my senior year of high school. At the time, I was living in a rural area, and due to the language barrier and my quiet personality, I spent most of my time listening to music and playing the guitar at home. One day, I suddenly had this confidence that “if I pursue music, I can really do this.” That belief led me to give up a traditional university path and instead prepare for Berklee College of Music.
I initially entered as a songwriting major because I wanted to become a singer-songwriter. But through studio sessions, I discovered the incredible world of engineers working behind the scenes. That fascination drove me to switch to Music Production & Engineering, where I immersed myself in recording sessions and laid the foundation for my engineering career. Over time, I found myself deeply drawn to mixing—communicating with artists and producers, and helping bring their vision to life through sound.
After graduation, I worked my way up from intern to recording, mixing, and mastering engineer at Cybersound Recording Studios. There, I was able to gain hands-on experience across a wide range of genres including pop, hip hop, R&B, rock, indie, and even K-pop. I also expanded my skills beyond music by working on podcasts and audiobooks. Eventually, my passion and ambition brought me to Los Angeles, where I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with talented artists while continuing to grow as a mixing engineer.
Q: Your career has involved taking risks and making bold choices. How has that shaped you as an engineer?
I’ve taken risks at every stage of my career—whether it was switching majors, moving cities, or starting over in new environments. But those decisions were always guided by one thing: my passion for creating music behind the scenes. That passion gave me the courage to make bold moves, and it continues to push me to grow.
Q: What makes your approach as a mixing engineer unique?
I think my strength comes from my background and diverse experiences. Growing up across different cultures and languages gave me the ability to connect with artists beyond words—whether emotionally or musically. Because I’ve also played guitar, written and produced songs, and sung, I’m able to understand the creative intentions of artists and producers from their perspective.
For me, mixing is about interpreting those intentions and making sure the music communicates clearly to listeners. A great example is my work on “before you” by Gareth.T, an artist from Warner Music Hong Kong. Even though I don’t speak Chinese, I was able to understand his intention and deliver a mix that captured the feeling he wanted to convey. That experience reinforced the idea that music itself is a universal language.
Q: Can you explain the importance of a mixing engineer’s role to the success of a song or artist?
I see the mixing engineer as the bridge between the artist’s and producer’s vision and the listener’s experience. By the time a track reaches me, my job is to take it the rest of the way—to a polished, radio-quality finish. That means not only balancing and enhancing the sounds technically, but also making sure the artist’s intentions are faithfully translated to the audience. In many ways, a mix transforms a song from being mostly finished to truly complete, ensuring the music not only sounds polished but also resonates exactly as the artist and producer intended.
Q: Who are some artists you’ve worked with, and have any of them received recognition or awards for their music? What’s next for you?
In LA, I’ve had the pleasure of working with artists like Justin Park, Kevin Chung, and Yel, as well as Korean artists such as Hoody, JUNNY, Brody, pH-1, DAUL, CHANGMO, and g0nny. I was fortunate to work on the track “Blind” from Hoody’s Sailing album, which was nominated for Best R&B & Soul Album at the 21st Korean Music Awards (2024). I’ve also been expanding my collaborations with artists from Korea, the US, China, and Japan. Moving forward, I want to continue building bridges across genres and borders, while also exploring new areas like soundtracks and OST work for TV shows.
My goal as a mixing engineer is to take the artist’s and producer’s vision and craft a balanced, polished sound that allows that vision to reach and move the listener.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaysung__/
