Meet Alexis Soto | Audio Engineer and Acoustic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexis Soto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexis, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Since I can remember, I have always been a restless person. With that, I have always been on the look for new and intriguing ways that can bring new solutions/answers to all the factors/events that humans have around us every day.

Taking that point as a starting point, I have always been a person who flees from being comfortable professionally. Interestingly enough, I quickly get bored of jobs where I’m not the leader, where the needs of the job stay the same and the goals don’t change.

That’s where the word risk comes in for me. I have always characterized myself as wanting to achieve more, do more, and deliver more. But this mentality, to my liking, cannot be achieved without delving into the unknown. And precisely, studying and working based on the unknown is what for me brings the word risk to the head of the population. On the path of new solutions and new ideas within the technology and music market (My fields of professional work), we will always find ourselves with criticism, some of them constructive and others not so, which we always have to take into consideration for improvement. and advancement of our product and the team behind it.

Without a doubt, this mentality has allowed me to achieve not only dreams but things that I could never have imagined until the moment of living them.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The biggest life lesson I learned is the following: “It doesn’t matter how many times you mess up or how many times you fail. Get up and keep fighting. Goals are not achieved only by talent, but they are achieved with dedication and hard work.” I have always insisted that effort is necessary to innovate and achieve the inclusion of technology in music, my greatest goal as a professional.

During my first year of the race, I was not sure if I had done the right thing. Studying Sound Engineering wasn’t giving me that “click” that a lot of people did, ta At a certain moment he felt that he was studying because it was his duty and not because it was what he wanted. One of the key factors in getting my bearings occurred almost at the end of my career. In my last years in Boston, I got involved in several projects with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and that collaboration was what helped him make sense of what he studied. I worked on several projects to build technological advances, which through music could improve human beings. One of those was a smart guitar for people who were missing a hand.

Without a doubt, I am very grateful for every one of the opportunities that have presented themselves in my life. But it should be noted that it has not been easy at any time. For many years of my life, I had to invent ways to afford my life, especially during the pandemic (where I doubted if the music was for me). It was many years without having a dollar saved in my name, and a long time doing anything to survive. But the persistence and love for this art were what allowed me to continue carving for my dreams.

After graduating from college, and passing the hard times, I have worked with several artists that I like and love, such as Rauw Alejandro, Carlos Vives, Cazzu, Chino & Nacho, María Becerra, Nella, Michel Camilo, Paquito D’ Rivera, and Miguel Bosé. On the other hand, I am happy that my work has been recognized by institutions just like the Recording Academy, and the Latin Recording Academy. In addition to it, I am proud to say that I am the Chief Technology Officer of the firm LAB Acoustics, specializing in acoustic consulting and design. Also, I work as Marketing Director for Il Paradiso Studios in Miami. Last but not least, I represent the Grammy and Emmy award-winning company iZotope, which specializes in audio and technology. I serve as their Latin Artist Relations representative worldwide.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love art, the outdoors, and experiences without any doubt. However, sometimes it is hard to follow a schedule because there are so many things happening in the city at all times and any plan can change very quickly.

-> SuperBlue Miami
-> Frost, Museum of Science
-> Frost, Museum of History
-> Key Biscayne (Anywhere lol)
-> Adrianne Center
-> Wynwood/Miami Design district
-> Coral Gables/Coconut Grove
-> Marlins Park
-> Hard Rock Stadium

Food/Bar

-> Farinelli (Pizza, Coconut Grove)
-> Los Felix/Krus Kitchen (Mexican, Coconut Grove)
-> Calle 8 (Anywhere lol, but Ball & Chain, Guantanamera and Cuba 8 are my favorites)
-> Versailles (Restaurant and bakery, Coral Gables/Westchester)
-> Frank Cachapas (Food, Doral)
-> Tártara y Alemana (Food, Doral)
-> Bogeda (Bar, Miami Beach and/or Coconut Grove)
-> Bay 13 Brewery (Coral Gables)
-> Books & Books (Coral Gables)

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First of all, I want to thank a person I love as a father: José Granado. He is a teacher that I have a lot of appreciation for and I think he was the one who made me love music. It’s not that I didn’t love the piano (my first instrument) and classical music before, since it helps me with everything I do now, but the love that José gave to the instrument sparked my interest in working and living from music.

Second of all, I wanna say thanks to the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation. They have been one of the greatest blessings of my life. Thanks to your scholarship program, I have been able to make an impact in music, complete my professional studies at Berklee College of Music, and expand my creative and professional possibilities. Among other things, this allowed me to reunite with my family after many years.

Last but not least, my mom and my dad. There is no possible way I could have achieved anything in life without their help of them. To me, they are the hardest working humans on earth, and that philosophy was passed along to me. As my dad says, “Nothing is free in life.”

Website: https://labacoustics.us/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soyalexissoto/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-soto-martinez/

Image Credits
Maria Alejandra Mata (The ones I am using a purple sweater) Natalia Santander (The ones that say “marlin” behind)