Audeze speaks to producer and mix engineer Dennis “Roc.am” Jones

 "The Audeze LCD-5’s changed my workflow completely. They gave me the ability to create in all environments. That mobility and convenience are the key drivers for my inspiration."  - Dennis “Roc.am” Jones

Here's our chat with Roc.am:

Can you pick out any highlights from your work that you're particularly proud of?

There are quite a few projects I'm really grateful for, I would say my all time favorite would be Frank Sinatra's "Classic Sinatra", I ended up landing a great relationship with the Sinatra Estate from some test mixes I committed to doing for trail and error purposes. With consistency and fast turnaround I was appointed to handle the estate's Atmos mixes, which was one of the most honorable moments for me. I remember during the pandemic I wasn’t musically inspired, and I started listing to Frank Sinatra and learned a lot about his story. So when I got the call, it was full circle for me and I'm forever grateful for the opportunity.

How would you define your main role on most of the projects you work on these days?

The role is to be innovative and draw outside the lines. I think we are too intense when it comes to creating and lose a lot of the essence and feeling because we want things to be scientifically correct. Music comes from the soul, regardless of what your role is.

How did you get started in music? What kind of music did you listen to while growing up and how has that progressed?

I grew up in a Christian Church setting, and music was a big deal during service. I was always drawn to drums, pianos, singing, and I think I developed a natural acclimation from that experience. As I got older I listened to a lot of hip-hop and R&B because of my older siblings' involvement in music, and it was inspiring. My mom wouldn’t allow me to listen to that type of music because she was a serious Christian woman, and she believed any music ungodly wasn’t humane. She felt this way until she listened to Kanye West “College Drop Out" and she felt the energy was very similar to gospel music. The experience opened the door for me, and I started to follow Kanye for inspiration.

Can you name any factors that influenced the course of your musical life? Heroes, role models, moments, interactions, etc?

Definitely Kanye West, it was a shift in music that was very different at the time, and it allowed me to believe there aren’t any rules or limitations to creativity.

Can you briefly describe a moment of frustration from your past work, and what you may have done to overcome the obstacles? Would you approach it differently now?

I definitely had a lot of frustrating situations. My way of learning was very nontraditional and I would have to make a tremendous amount of mistakes on site to really to understand what I was doing. I think that approached molded me to what I am today, and it's still a tool I use when I take on new adventures in music. I remember in my earlier years of working in the industry I had an opportunity record T.I, but I couldn’t because I didn’t know how to operate the SSL board in the studio. From that experience it drove me to learning boards and how they work.

Is there any gear you find yourself turning to most when working on a project? What are some of your favorite tools/instruments recently?

My favorite piece of gear would have to be a combination of my 500 series modules with my Radial WorkHorse cube. I was fortunate enough to learn about analog and applied it to the digital world, Hybrid. And no matter how good digital tech gets, I always find myself using both and experimenting. My go to would be my Neve 1073 LB 500 series, and inward Connection Brute compressor, and different types of saturation modules. I travel quite frequently so it's super convenient to have those tools available at arm's reach any given time.

Do you have any words of wisdom for people who might aspire toward a similar path for their own careers?

Trust in what you believe it should sound like. We get stuck in the standards and forget we need to make new ones.

How long have you been working with headphones, and how do you typically use them in your workflow?

Headphones have been part of my life since a kid, growing up in NYC living in a small apartment you're not allowed to play music loud. So I had to learn headphones to make up for it.

Do you have any additional comments or stories you want to share?

I would just like to say Thank you for having me, I look to enlighten and inspire others, and I hope this interview can help someone else on their journey.

How have your Audeze headphones affected your work?

The Audeze LCD-5’s changed my workflow completely. They gave me the ability to create in all environments. That mobility and convenience are the key drivers for my inspiration. I find myself effectively finalizing mixes before entering a recording facility with the utmost confidence.

Can you tell us what you've been working on with them recently?

During the 4th quarter of 2022, my workload significantly increased. Most recently, I worked on Stereo mixing, Mastering, and Dolby Atmos mixing for the Peacock Network Series project called “Pitch Perfect Bumper in Berlin." This aired 11/23/22. I also created a special mix designed for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Performance. All mixes curated with the LCD5’s.