MIAMI ― GRAMMY- and Latin GRAMMY-winning Producer, Composer, and Mixer Nicolas “Nico” Ramirez has worked with prominent Latin artists such as Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, and Marc Anthony, among others. Today, he is the producer, mixing and recording engineer, and live sound engineer for multi-award-winning Artist and Songwriter Camilo, a fellow Colombian. In addition to his credits in the music industry, Ramirez also composes and provides sound design for films, documentaries, TV series, and animated shows.
For Ramirez, music and sound effects have always crisscrossed as a single entity in his creative workflow. His appreciation for the vast array of cultures that span this world and the influence each has on music has continually inspired him to create a unique identity for all his projects. To aid in his mastery, Ramirez relies on his KRK V4 and V6 V-Series 4 Powered Studio Monitors, which he says, “are very dynamic and rich in sound, so I can always get the right vibe of the track.”
As someone who focuses on sonic quality, it is critical that Ramirez has a realistic-sounding pair of speakers. “During the mixing process, I need speakers that sound good, and are easy and quick to use,” he explains. “My V6s are not too bright, and they aren’t too low; they work well and sound great. The V4s have a smaller diaphragm that translates well to a variety of listening scenarios, so I can assess how my tracks will sound in any other environment. Whether my songs are being played in a theater, through consumer-grade headphones, at an airport, or in the car, I know what I’m hearing on the V-Series will be what audiences experience as well.”
For times when Ramirez has been on the road running front of house for Camilo, his KRK
V-Series monitors serve a dual purpose as nearfield speakers. “The monitors are vibrant and tend to have solid sound quality in loud situations, which is important for a concert tour,” he adds.
Never one to stray too far from his producer role, Ramirez uses KRK GoAux Portable Powered Studio Monitors for studio work on the go. “I travel a lot when I am on tour, and I like to have a solution that is easy to set up on the road,” he explains. “The KRK GoAux sound great, and the carrying case they come in is amazing. I never have to worry about where I am going to store all the pieces.” Whether in the studio or on the road, Ramirez also relies on KRK’s KNS Headphones when listening back on his mixes. “The KRK Headphones have a very particular boost on the mids and mid-lows, so I use them to check my tracks in that range,” he adds. “It helps me assess if I have everything under control.”
As a longtime KRK user, Ramirez reflected on when he initially heard KRK monitors, at his first studio job. “I will always remember seeing the beautiful speakers with the yellow cone; I felt great listening to the music come out of those ROKIT 8s,” he reminisces. “The speakers sounded terrific, and I just knew they were a quality product. That was back in 2009, and I have been using KRK ever since. KRK continues to be a top-notch brand that has easy and affordable solutions for beginners, as well as higher-end solutions for professionals.”
Ramirez graduated with a degree in audio engineering from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, in Bogota, Colombia, and later earned his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in sound design from Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. From 2018 to 2021, Ramirez was the head recording and mixing engineer at Art House, GRAMMY Award-winner Julio Reyes Copello’s studio. Now, as an independent producer, Ramirez continues to use his array of KRK gear while in the studio and on the road, and his KRK GoAux monitors for personal listening applications.