Author Interview: Dashitai

This week in our series of interviews of AudioJungle authors, we meet…

Dashitai (Juan Pablo Lagos)

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do for a living?

My name is Juan Pablo. I’m 27 years old and live in a little country in Central America called Honduras. I have an audio production company that works with ad agencies and video production companies.  We do voiceover work, radio commercials, jingles, sound design and original music for film and TV.

2. How long have you been composing music and what got you started producing?

I started playing piano when I was nine. Originally I wanted to learn how to play drums but space and loudness was an issue for my parents.  I remember the day when my mom got me a little Casio keyboard. Lots of sounds (I could play drum sounds on it as well) and it looked simple enough. My dad played guitar so we used to have some jam sessions in the living room.

3. Do you play any instruments? Do you have any formal music training?

I play keyboard, guitar, bass, and sing a bit.  I’ve had classical training since I was 10 and then went on to Berklee College of Music in Boston to study music production and engineering.

4. Could you describe to us your home studio and the equipment and software you typically use to produce audio?

I have a simple setup.  My DAW software of choice is Cubase for multitracking and mixing.  For beat production I use FL Studio.  I really like the simplicity in the sequencer and that’s what I’ve been using for years now.

In terms of recording gear I have a RME Fireface 800 audio interface and a RNP (Really Nice Preamp) as a preamp.  I use several VST instruments for sounds like EZ Drummer and Sampletank. For processing I use Waves plugins. A couple of mics like an Audiotechnica 4050 and MXL V69 tube mic.  Nothing fancy, if it gets the job done it works.  I would love to have more gear but all in good time.

5. Could you tell us a bit about how you typically compose and then produce your audio? Describe your creative process.

It really depends why I’m composing.  Sometimes a client gives me the outline for what type of music they want.  But for AudioJungle I try doing stuff that sounds different so it stands out in the library.

Sometimes it starts with a beat or percussion loop I record.  Other times it could starts with a chord progression I like on the piano or I start singing a melody while playing the guitar. It just depends.

I usually record my initial idea and then start layering stuff on top of it whether it’s drum sounds or maybe a synth or bass line.  I get the groove going.

6. What genre of music do you enjoy producing for and why?

I was always into urban genres like hip hop, reggaeton, electronic stuff; anything that has a beat or groove.  Most of the stuff I have on AudioJungle fits into these genres.

I used to do reggaeton for a while so I feel like I’m pretty good at that.

7. What kind of things inspire you to create music? Do you have any musical influences?

What inspires me? When producing music for myself, it really depends on the mood.  Most of the time I do melancholic sounding stuff.  I love composing for film or video. You get that visual feedback which makes it a lot more interesting. It’s always nice to have something to feed off while creating.  Right now I’m getting into scoring for film.

In terms of influences, my dad used to listen to a lot of jazz; fusion guitar stuff like Pat Metheny and John Scoffield. When I was small I loved Michael Jackson’s stuff.  Later I found out it was Quincy Jones who produced a lot of his early stuff and that’s why it sounded so awesome.

I’ve also been influenced by a lot of hip hop producers like Dr. Dre (The Chronic), Timbaland. Reggaeton producers like DJ Playero and DJ Blass.

8. What genres of music do you listen to in your spare time? Do you have any favorite bands or artists?

I think my tastes are pretty eclectic.  Right now I’m into electronic brands like French duo Justice and New York bands Ratatat and MGMT.

In terms of favorite bands it really depends on the genre.  I love Radiohead, one of the best bands out there. Rock I’d say Argentinean rock band Soda Stereo or U2 for their energy live.

9. What is your advice to other AudioJungle authors regarding how to create a successful portfolio of audio?

I think you have to do what you like because that’s what you’ll put your best efforts into.  Always try to be original and honest with your sound.  Don’t try to sound like someone else (because it’s not gonna sound as good).  I also think that making different sounding material always helps to stand out on AudioJungle.

10. What do you do to market your AudioJungle files?

Not enough… To be honest, AudioJungle started out as an experiment. I wasn’t sure if people would like my music but the response has been very positive so far.

I have updated my MySpace page to exclusively market my AudioJungle tracks, and plan to create some sound effect and audio logo packs to compliment my portfolio. I think getting feedback from people is important to get a better idea of what they’re looking for.

11. What are your three favorite tracks in your AudioJungle portfolio and why do you like them?

Break the Cycle

I like the high energy feel this track brings out.  Synced to video or animation it looks awesome.

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Hip Hop Groove – Latino Walk

It was a privilege to have this track featured on the Envato Birthday Bundle.  I was so psyched when I found out.  Now it’s my top selling track. Thanks again to the community for the support.

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Pop Beat

People seem to like this track a lot.  It’s just a happy pop beat. Maybe for a kids show or something.

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12. Apart from yourself, who is your favorite AudioJungle author and why do you like them?

There’s so many good authors out there with a lot of quality stuff.  I think Sound Prodigy is someone with a lot of good tracks. They’re different, with a lot of fresh sounding guitar riffs. It makes me wanna go out and go skydiving or something fun like that.

I also like JPO48.  He’s pretty new to AudioJungle, but has a lot of orchestral stuff that would be perfect for film and or movie trailers.

13. If you could change anything about AudioJungle, what would it be?

I’m pretty new to AudioJungle, so I’m still getting used to it, but I love it so far.  I’ve been looking for a community like this for a while.

The only suggestion I can think of would be an option for original music licensing from bands or songwriters—like actual songs with vocals that can be licensed for ad campaigns or commercials.  Maybe it would be a separate marketplace in itself, but the future of audio in advertising is going to rely heavily on content and music.  Hopefully AudioJungle and Envato can be a leader in this area as well.

14. Could you tell us about some of your audio projects outside of AudioJungle? What have been some of your biggest audio successes so far?

Well, I just finished the sound mixing and music for a Honduran movie called “Amor y Frijoles”, translated Love and Beans (go to www.amoryfrijoles.com for the trailer).  It was a great experience. It was the first time our company has taken on a project like this, so it was a challenge, but it’s been a success so far at the theaters.  Our country needs artistic incentives like this, and it was an honor to have participated.

Besides that, we have the audio production company looking to expand to other regions, and AudioJungle has helped with that so far, putting us in contact with animators and motion graphics artists in different countries.

15. When you aren’t busy creating music, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I love traveling, doing stuff outdoors, and an occasional weekend barbecue.  Honduras is great for that type of stuff because everything’s so close.  You can be at a tropical beach, a mountain waterfall, or lake in about an hour’s time.  If anyone wants to come down you can find out more at www.letsgohonduras.com.  Just hit me up so I’ll know you’re coming.

View / listen to Dashitais AudioJungle portfolio.