Lucas Nikkanen
New York,NY
Summary
Audio Engineer and Sound Mixer with over 5 years of experience in podcasts, branded content, and digital media. Expert in dialogue editing, sound design, mixing, and mastering using Pro Tools and iZotope RX/Ozone. Experienced in synthetic speech evaluation and vocal identity analysis for machine learning audio systems. Known for a precise critical ear, efficient workflows, and delivering polished audio under tight deadlines.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Speech Knowledge Expert (Contract)
Meta
New York, NY
03.2026 - Current
- Evaluate speech data for AI training, identifying nuanced differences in pitch, inflection, emotion, intention, and vocal delivery
- Assess and grade SFT and RLHF annotations to improve consistency, accuracy, and overall dataset quality
- Develop and maintain annotation guidelines focused on speech aesthetics, emotional nuance, and audio quality
- Perform critical listening evaluations on AI generated and recorded speech for clarity, naturalness, and task adherence
- Collaborate with subject matter experts to establish quality standards for speech annotation and reward model training
- Support autoeval and reward model workflows through high fidelity speech evaluation and data annotation
Audio Quality Expert (Synthetic Speech Evaluation)
micro1
11.2025 - 03.2026
- Evaluate short-form synthetic speech clips for production-level quality in an ML audio research environment.
- Identify and annotate artifacts, spectral and harmonic issues, formant anomalies, and identity/timbre inconsistencies.
- Apply a calibrated 1-7 professional quality rating system, assessing timbre, clarity, tonal balance, and dynamics.
- Compare synthetic voices against reference recordings to assess vocal identity match.
- Deliver precise qualitative rationales supporting model training and improvement.
Audio Engineer & Composer
Self-Employed
New York, USA
03.2023 - 10.2025
- Created, mixed, and mastered music and sound design for branded films and advertising campaigns.
- Collaborated with Perrier Jouët, O'Neill, Sony Alpha, Esquire, and Shell on projects reaching millions of views.
- Maintained audio-video sync using timecode workflows and delivered rapid revisions under tight deadlines.
Branded & Original Content Production Lead
Spokenlayer
New York, USA
05.2021 - 02.2023
- Led end-to-end audio production for branded and narrative podcasts and Spotify advertisements.
- Recorded voice talent and performed advanced dialogue restoration and editing for natural, clean speech.
- Applied noise reduction, EQ, leveling, and mastering to ensure consistent, broadcast-ready quality.
- Managed episode delivery schedules and handled final uploads to hosting platforms.
- Partnered with hosts, producers, and internal teams to deliver cohesive sonic branding.
- Delegated tasks, maintained organized file structures, and optimized production timelines for team efficiency.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Cinema Studies
Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH05.2018
Skills
- Dialogue editing and vocal cleanup
- Mixing and mastering
- Loudness normalization and noise reduction
- Equalization and compression
- Remote recording techniques
- Pro Tools proficiency
- Synthetic voice evaluation
- Audio quality assessment
- Signal processing expertise
- IZotope RX 11 and Ozone 11
- FFmpeg
Timeline
Speech Knowledge Expert (Contract)
Meta
03.2026 - Current
Audio Quality Expert (Synthetic Speech Evaluation)
micro1
11.2025 - 03.2026
Audio Engineer & Composer
Self-Employed
03.2023 - 10.2025
Branded & Original Content Production Lead
Spokenlayer
05.2021 - 02.2023
Bachelor of Arts - Cinema Studies
Oberlin College