Meet Fernando Romero Servin | Visual Artist & Product Developer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Fernando Romero Servin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fernando, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?

Although Paradox Effects is still a small effect pedal company, we have managed to make an influence in our surrounding, I would say both indirectly and directly.

Our presence and trajectory as one of the few musical gear developers in Mexico, certainly is generating interest in students and aspiring musical equipment creators to feel there is a way for these kinds of businesses to exist, and succeed.
So, we’ve started to witness a buzz around the gear market and culture in Mexico, but we’ve taken some initiatives as well, recently we hosted the first exhibition of Mexican musical gear, as we have an urgent necessity of legitimate platforms that can push forward the value of musical technology being developed in our country, and so nurture an environment that can ensure the future of these creative brands and their competitiveness in the world.
I can see this turning into something bigger, so we feel really proud and excited to help create this platform and little by little putting Mexico on the map as a key Developer and not only a manufacturer.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Paradox Effects is a Mexican company that designs and builds effect pedals in the agonistic city of Tijuana, and I think what sets Paradox Effects apart from other effect pedal companies, is our design approach, what I mean by this is, we’ve set a visual-sonic universe of artifacts that enhance your music through the interaction with them, there is a design process where the visual design and interface have a direct coherence with the sounds and textures that can be achieved, but we’ve also given a protagonist role to the Spanish language, through the product’s names, parameters and branding, simply because that is part of our cultural heritage, and it has evolved as an effort to construct an intimate identity with the Spanish speaking community of musicians and artists which is rather massive and relevant. Both of these aspects of my company excite me, they are aspects that keep giving us ways to innovate and add to the gear culture in Latin America, and it is in part this set of values that have brought us to where we are today. Surely it hasn’t been easy, I would say these past 8 years have been difficult, but one of the hardest things is to stop listening to some of your surroundings, which doesn’t believe you’ll be able to live by doing something you love, and I understand that, it’s not for everyone, but I’ve chosen to move forward and not listen.
People’s response to our products, our company, is something that keeps me going, and the fact there is a great number of musicians now that are producing awesome music with our pedals, is a goal already achieved.
We are artists as well, and lots of us feel there is an urgent need for our craft to be nurtured and catapulted to compete with the rest of the world, we just need the right platforms to do it, that goes for the music industry as a whole in Mexico.
Lastly I would like to put out that Tijuana and San Diego as two cities coexisting with each other, both really important for the design industry, makes me think that I’m in the right place, and inspires me and my team to be part of what makes this area of the world so amazing.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If a friend is visiting Tijuana, there is no doubt the itinerary will include lots of food. I would schedule a tour of the best mexican food in the city, Tacos el Ruso, Elvia, Tacos Varios Aaron, Muñecos in Otay, Mazateño, Doña María pozolería guerrerense, Pequeño Saigón Pho, Mamut cervecería (this is mostly eat and drink) of course we would give them a trip to our workspace, hangout in the beach in Playas de Tijuana, no doubt we would look for an independent music show happening around the city at the weekend.

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?

Yeah now that I think about it, it might be a big list but I’ll keep it short. I’ll start with Sci-Fi and watching giant robot shows as a kid like Gundam, took me into a road where I wanted to imagine, draw or build technology somehow, that has been a driving force in my incursion as an artist and creator.

Playing in bands with my friends at a young age, my family and art school were all great mentors for me.

Website: https://paradoxeffects.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Paradox_Effects

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paradoxeffectsmx/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5xc2UmaVarDeOk1nZj1mig

Image Credits
Yamel Claudio @recuerdos.del.gallo (FotoFer_sdvoyager.jpg)