MIAMI ― For Musician, Producer, and Engineer Tommy Torres, music is as much about feeling as it is about sound, and he has spent a lifetime translating inspiration into art. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Torres learned music by ear and started playing in bands during his high school years, a passion that would ultimately define his life. Later, he pursued dual majors in engineering/producing and arranging at Berklee College of Music, arming himself with the skills to navigate both the technical and artistic sides of the studio.
After graduation, Torres cut his teeth as an assistant at the newly opened Sony Studios in New York. It was a formative experience, where he witnessed legendary recordings, from Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged to sessions with Stone Temple Pilots and Michael Jackson, as well as Mariah Carey’s iconic Christmas album. Over time, Torres’ creative curiosity led him from engineering to producing and songwriting, working with artists such as Ricky Martin, Alejandro Sanz, Alicia Keys, and Jesse & Joy, earning several GRAMMY® and Latin GRAMMY Awards and nominations along the way.
Today, Torres can be found at his Miami studio, a space he describes as both functional and homey. “It’s my creative room,” he says. “I have a piano, guitars lying around, a sofa, even a kitchen next door. It’s acoustically treated, but it feels like a living space. That’s where the real magic happens.”
According to Torres, his KRK ROKIT 8 Generation Five Studio Monitors play a crucial role in creating that magic. “The ROKITs are just honest,” he says. “The heart of their sound is in the midrange, which the speakers bring forward so clearly. I don’t want monitors that flatter the sound; I want them to tell me the truth. With the ROKITs, I hear everything I need to make decisions that translate across all systems. Their balance of clarity, punchy low end, and airy highs allows me to mix at lower volumes without losing excitement in the track.”
Torres’ love for KRK goes back decades. He initially encountered an early generation of the brand’s V-Series V8 Monitors while working alongside legendary mixer Bob Clearmountain and has personally used the smaller V-Series 2 models “for a long time.” He first got a feel for the ROKITs in 2021, during production of his album “El Playlist de Anoche,” which he co-produced with Bad Bunny.
“When I first heard the ROKITs, I fell in love,” he recalls. “They have this rock-and-roll quality that pleases my ears, and they expose everything in the midrange without hiding anything. Every generation since then, including the new Gen Fives, continues that tradition. The monitors don’t just reproduce sound, they guide me. Whether I’m working on an intimate acoustic track or a layered pop production, I know what I’m hearing is exactly what’s there. That gives me the freedom to focus on the music, not guess about the mix.”
For on-the-go sessions or smaller spaces, Torres turns to his smaller V-Series monitors, which he refers to as his road tools. “They retain the signature KRK sound while offering portability and flexibility,” he continues. “Whenever I need to go somewhere, I just grab some KRKs. It doesn’t matter if it’s the big ROKIT 8s or small ones—KRK monitors give me what I need, every time.”
In addition to the ROKITs, Torres has long relied on KRK KNS Headphones as an essential part of his creative toolkit. “I’m a huge fan of KRK’s headphones,” he says. “They give a very similar feel to the speakers. When you put the headphones on, you know immediately that it’s KRK.”
For Torres, comfort and practicality are just as important as sound quality. “They’re very light and comfortable,” he explains. “They even come with both a short cable and a very long one with a volume control; I wish every headphone had that. These aren’t for audiophiles; they’re for the studio guys. Whoever voiced these headphones really spent years in the trenches.”
By pairing the precise midrange clarity of his ROKITs with the faithful translation of his KRK headphones, Torres can work long hours while preserving both his ears and his artistic vision. For him, it’s not only about hearing sound but experiencing the music exactly as it exists in the mix, whether he’s crafting new songs for himself or polishing productions for some of the world’s biggest artists. “It’s about longevity, too; I want to keep working ‘til I’m 80, so it is crucial that I save my ears in the process.”
From Puerto Rico to Berklee, from Sony Studios to Miami, and from engineering to producing and songwriting, Torres’s journey has been fueled by curiosity, dedication, and a deep love for the craft. Today, surrounded by the sounds of his studio, the warmth of his space, and the precision of his KRK ROKITs, Torres continues to turn inspiration into music that resonates with listeners around the world.
“I can’t see myself doing anything else; music is everything,” Torres reflects. “Being in the room with those phenomenal artists and producers in my early years, I learned there are no rules. Everyone has their own way of creating, and if you get moved by something—a rhythm, a chord progression, anything—you follow it. I learned early on to trust my instincts. Every artist I work with, I try to imagine them on stage and ask myself, ‘What would fans want to hear from this person?’ It’s not about me; it’s about helping them realize their vision. For me, the spark always comes first. Then, it’s about catching it, recording it, and making it sing. KRK helps me do that every step of the way.”