Master Your Mix Podcast

Doug McBride: Creating Big, Natural Recordings

Doug McBride is a multi-talented individual who wears many hats—Founder and Chief Engineer at Gravity Studios, mastering engineer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, as well as a family man. Located in Chicago's Wicker Park, Gravity Studios has been a launchpad for various artists. Doug's career took off at the Chicago Recording Company, where he climbed the ranks from 1990 to 1993. He has worked with a plethora of artists, including Izzy Stradlin, Veruca Salt, Smashing Pumpkins, and Fall Out Boy. His initial success came when he produced the hit song "Seether" for Veruca Salt, which set the stage for Gravity Studios to become a go-to place for both local bands and major label artists.
In the late '90s and 2000s, Doug's reputation began to attract artists from around the country and even Europe. Names like Ben Kweller, Johnny Rzenik, Badly Drawn Boy, and Tahiti 80 made their way to Chicago specifically to work with him. Over the years, he has also produced tracks for Racheal Yamagata, Jack’s Mannequin, and Buddy Guy. In 2005, he expanded his business by opening Gravity Mastering, focusing on mastering services for other producers and engineers. Committed to supporting independent artists, Doug has adapted to the evolving recording industry while maintaining his straightforward approach.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
Working with Steve Albini
Creating natural sounding recordings
Surviving the music industry on no sleep
How the height of your room impacts your sounds
Leaning into room mics
Getting the most of a small room
Following musical trends
Using compression on drums
Background vocals: How to get them to sound wide and clear
Tuning vocals for clarity
How to prevent overcooking your mixes
Being prepared to capitalize on opportunities
To learn more about Doug McBride and Gravity Studios, visit: http://www.gravitystudios.com/
For tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Looking for 1-on-1 feedback and training to help you create pro-quality mixes? Check out my new coaching program Amplitude and apply to join: https://masteryourmix.com/amplitude/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Chris Athens: Creating Traction With Your Career

Chris Athens is a mastering engineer with over 30 years in the industry.  Formerly working at Sony Music Studios and Sterling Sound, he has founded his own studio, Chris Athens Masters in Austin Texas.  Chris has mastered for some of the biggest names in hip-hop such as DJ Khaled, Drake, and Mac Miller as well as some rock artists including Coheed & Cambria, Architects, and Of Mice and Men.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
Taking chances, even when you don’t feel prepared
Learning from mistakes
Surrounding yourself with the right people
Work/life balance
Working to the point of burnout
Why you need to get good at networking and marketing
Inheriting clients vs. creating clients
Finding people to partner with for your studio business
Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses
The advantages of working quickly
How to preserve your objectivity
Broad-stroke vs. surgical EQ
Getting big clear low end
To learn more about Chris Athens, visit: https://chrisathensmasters.com/
For tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Looking for 1-on-1 feedback and training to help you create pro-quality mixes? Check out my new coaching program Amplitude and apply to join: https://masteryourmix.com/amplitude/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Martin Cooke: Getting an Analog Sound in Digital

Martin Cooke has worked with bands such as Death Cab for Cutie (Grammy Nomination in 2015), Of Monsters And Men, At The Drive-In, Chvrches, HAIM, Kimbra, Sea Wolf, Chaos Chaos, Destroy Boys, Hayes & Y, and Cathedrals
Martin hails from the great state of Texas and has been playing music since the age of 10. He spent two years at the University of Houston, studying music performance and music education, before attending Berklee College of Music. While at Berklee, he discovered the world of manipulating and recording sound, and never looked back. After graduating with a dual major in Music Production & Engineering and Music Synthesis, Martin moved to Los Angeles and began working at the world class Henson Recording Studios. 
From 2013 to 2018 he engineered for producer/mixer Rich Costey, and has been involved in mixes for artists like HAIM, Phantogram, Chvrches, Foster The People, and many more. He is now established as an independent recording and mixing engineer, and has had the opportunity to work with great independent artists to help them take their music to a new level.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
Audio school: Is it worth it?
Shadowing other engineers and adapting to new workflows
Calibrating your system
Making the switch from analog to digital
Getting an analog sound in digital productions
Understanding phase relationships and how they impact the sound
The pros and cons to using programmed drums
Mixing drums
Leaning into room mics to create a more realistic sound
Martin’s system for using parallel compression
His go-to tools for saturation
Using a “crotch” mic
The Brendan O’Brien kick/snare mic technique
Finding the sweet spot of a room to record in
Notable gear mentioned:
SSL Plugins: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/DKq3Xj
To learn more about Martin Cooks, visit https://www.mcooke.net/
For tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Looking for 1-on-1 feedback and training to help you create pro-quality mixes? Check out my new coaching program Amplitude and apply to join: https://masteryourmix.com/amplitude/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Doug Boehm: How To Make Guitars Sound Big

An American record producer and Grammy Award winning recording engineer, Doug has worked with some of the best Pop, Indie, and Rock musicians.  His roster includes the critically acclaimed Girls, and their offspring-solo artist Christopher Owens, Tokyo Police Club and French Kicks. 
Recently, he has been in the studio with Aussie favorites Birds Of Tokyo, Roadkill Ghost Choir, Twin Peaks, Elle King, and LA's Dear Boy.
Recording and mixing credits include Australia's The Vines, Paul Dempsey, Powder Finger, as well as American pop phenoms Katie Perry, Fallout Boy and Miley Cyrus. Other credits include Booker T Jones, Guided By Voices, The Whigs, The Pharcyde, Guru, Dr Dog, Company of Thieves, The Honorary Title, Islands, Liz Phair, Starsailor, Ezra Furman and the Harpoons, and the Stone Foxes.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
Quitting audio college as a fast track to working in the audio industry
How to rise up the ranks in a studio
Working for Jack Joseph Puig
The simple trick for getting things to sound good
How to analyze reference tracks
Getting mixes to translate
Why your monitors aren’t your problem
NS10s: why they’re the worst
Preserving the sound of a client’s rough mixes
Getting bug, wide guitars
His simple approach to micing guitar amps
A trick for getting wider drum room sounds
Working with Tokyo Police Club
Using Transient Designers on room mics
Committing to sounds on the way in
The importance of automation to make mixes sound exciting
Notable gear mentioned in this episode:
Shure SM57: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/vN2JYO
To learn more about Doug Boehm, visit: https://www.dougboehmmusic.com/
For tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Looking for 1-on-1 feedback and training to help you create pro-quality mixes? Check out my new coaching program Amplitude and apply to join: https://masteryourmix.com/amplitude/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Matt Bishop: Reverse-Engineering Records

Over the last 10 years, Matt Bishop has earned himself an impressive credit list ranging from Taylor Swift and The Killers to U2 and Two Door Cinema Club. Whether it's engineering, producing, or mixing, Matt Bishop has proved himself time again as a trusted industry professional. With experience working in many different genres of music, he utilizes this unique perspective in all the projects he takes on.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
Working with indie bands vs major label artists
Embracing imperfections
Samples vs raw drums
How to stop overanalyzing your work
Creating “utility” templates
Scheduling ear breaks
Working with Taylor Swift and U2
Reverse-engineering records
To learn more about Matt Bishop, visit https://www.mathbishop.com/
For tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Looking for 1-on-1 feedback and training to help you create pro-quality mixes? Check out my new coaching program Amplitude and apply to join: https://masteryourmix.com/amplitude/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

TW Walsh: Understanding How Loudness Affects Your Masters

TW Walsh is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and engineer who's worked with Sufjan Stevens, Jimmy Eat World, Julien Baker, J. Tillman (Father John Misty), Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, Benjamin Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie), The Shins, Chris Staples, Damien Jurado, David Bazan, Starflyer 59 and many others.
Over the years, he's been in several bands, including Pedro the Lion, Lo Tom, Headphones, and The Soft Drugs. Currently based in Boston, he continues to master records, write and record songs, and collaborate with other artists.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
To go to recording school or not?
Making the switch from analog to digital
How loud should your mixes and masters be?
Navigating the loudness wars
How loudness can impact the sound quality of a mix
Should you master to -14LUFS?
Creating cohesiveness between songs on an album
Using AI tools during the mastering process
Personal taste vs. consumer expectations
Using templates in mastering
Picking a DAW for mastering
Mastering in a non-mastering-specific DAW
Why you don’t always want to master each song to sound the best it can
To learn more about TW Walsh, visit: https://twwalsh.com/
For tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Looking for 1-on-1 feedback and training to help you create pro-quality mixes? Check out my new coaching program Amplitude and apply to join: https://masteryourmix.com/amplitude/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Alex Estrada: Capturing the Feel of a Musician

Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA  Estrada comes from a diverse musical background. The son of a world renowned Mariachi musician and a former professional Folklorico dancer - He was raised in the studio as well as on stage. As front man of Alternative / Electronic rock band Silver Snakes he released 4 full length albums and toured the United States and Europe with the likes of Korn, Glassjaw, Coheed and Cambria, Bring Me The Horizon, Chevelle and more. Known for his experimental production style as well as his keen sense of melody and pitch, Estrada has been a frequent collaborator in the studio with LA legends Touche Amore and Joyce Manor. 
In 2022 Estrada opened The Pale Moon Ranch, A recording studio situated in the mountains of Los Angeles county with panoramic views of the Mojave desert below. 
When he’s not making records, Alex can be found exploring various old west ghost towns with his cat Princess Pearblossom.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
Growing up in a musical household
Reaching out to your favourite producers/engineers
Guitar tuning and intonation
Capturing feel
Technical perfection vs. raw performances
Making your productions stand out 
Committing to sounds on the way in
Live off the floor recordings vs. tracking everything separately
Having the confidence to commit to sounds
Capturing natural ambience
Should you ever correct a musician’s technique?
Making demos in the preproduction stage
The importance of a good tracking room
To learn more about Alex Estrada, visit: https://www.thepalemoonranch.com/
For tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Looking for 1-on-1 feedback and training to help you create pro-quality mixes? Check out my new coaching program Amplitude and apply to join: https://masteryourmix.com/amplitude/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Joe Reinhart: Building Flexible Templates

Joe Reinhart is an engineer, producer, mixer, and multi-instrumentalist from Philadelphia, PA.
Joe is also a Co-owner of Headroom Studio
He has been recording bands since he was 15, starting off with a Tascam Portastudio in his parents’ basement.
Many bands and years later, in 2007, he recorded his band, Algernon Cadwallader’s debut LP, “Some Kind of Cadwallader” in a variety of locations, including his West Philly bedroom studio that he shared with his band members.
It was around that time that he also met Kyle at Drexel, and a couple years after that, moved into a warehouse that was dubbed “Big Mama’s” and put some gear in the extra rehearsal room that became The Headroom.
It was here that Joe recorded a ton of projects like Hop Along’s “Get Disowned”, which he later joined as a lead guitarist in 2012.
Since then he’s produced bands like Joyce Manor, Modern Baseball and so many others. When he’s not holed up in the studio or ripping it on stage, Joe is surfing.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
Recording with a Talkboy
Being involved in a community of like-minded people
Analyzing artists’ demos
Playing for the song vs focusing on your own parts
Making decisions as a band
Building template that offer lots of flexibility
Using Auto Align on drums
Using automation to make choruses bigger
Getting big choruses with clean guitars
His secret weapon for recording guitar
Joe’s go-to amp choices
How he gets fat snare drum tones
Using a Tune-bot to help with drum tuning
Why he uses separate parallel channels for kick and snare tracks
Notable gear mentioned in this episode:
UF8: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/Qynkba
JHS Double Barrel: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/vNjA3A
Vox AC15: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/k0MxEM
Overtone Labs Tune-Bot: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/rQD5KB
To learn more about Joe Reinheart, visit: https://www.joereinhart.com/
For tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Looking for 1-on-1 feedback and training to help you create pro-quality mixes? Check out my new coaching program Amplitude and apply to join: https://masteryourmix.com/amplitude/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Jon Kaplan: Problem Solving Your Mixes

Jon Kaplan is a Grammy award winning Mixer, Producer and Composer who has enjoyed every minute of the past 25+ years working in the studio
Following a dream defining stretch in the 1990s as a member of Atlantic Records’ band The Hatters, his career behind the glass began in NYC as an engineer on hit records for *N Sync, Jennifer Lopez, LL Cool J, Mariah Carey and others.
As a producer and mixer he has lent an ear to records across the musical spectrum for artists including Paul McCartney, Elton John, Neon Trees, Bebe Rexha, Jonas Brothers, Black Pumas, Brittany Howard, Allen Stone, Sara Bareilles, Upsahl, Ray LaMontagne, Zach Williams, Gavin DeGraw and Brett Young.
To date, his name has appeared on albums totalling over 25 million in sales, as well as eight Grammy nominated recordings and the one shiny little gold statue on the mantle.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
Figuring out your passions and niche in audio
Navigating the old music industry model vs. the current one
Using the rough mix as the foundation of what you do
Problem solving balance issues in a mix
Making a vocal sit right 
Having a repeatable process for mixing so you know when you’re done with it
Tuning kick drums to match the key of the song
Saturating bass
Using references to learn your speakers
Why gain-matching is so important throughout a mix
Using mono vs stereo reverbs
Delay vs reverb
Notable gear mentioned in this episode:
1176 - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/AWE4MR
To learn more about Jon Kaplan, visit: https://jfkmix.com/
For tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Looking for 1-on-1 feedback and training to help you create pro-quality mixes? Check out my new coaching program Amplitude and request a demo: https://masteryourmix.com/amplitude/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Dana Nielsen: Capturing Pro Vocals

Dana Nielsen is a Grammy-nominated mixer, engineer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his work with Rihanna, Adele, The Smashing Pumpkins, Neil Young, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, The Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan, and Kanye West.
Nielsen also frequently works with music for picture, producing, recording, and mixing a growing number of film scores and soundtracks, such as Kristen Wiig‘s Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar (Lionsgate), Will Ferrell’s Anchorman 2 (Paramount) and Casa De Mi Padre (NALA), as well as the Sam Rockwell/Olivia Wilde dark comedy Better Living Through Chemistry.
Based in Los Angeles, Nielsen has amassed credits that run the stylistic gamut from Neil Diamond to Slayer and just about every style in between. Nielsen’s work can be heard on albums by a diverse roster of artists. He worked as an engineer on Kanye West’s Yeezus(Roc-A-Fella) and Rihanna’s Loud (Def Jam), recorded Bob Dylan’s Tempest (Colombia), and recorded Neil Young and Crazy Horse for their album Colorado (Reprise).
As a composer, saxophonist, singer and programmer, Nielsen’s own music and/or voice can be heard on countless TV commercials, as well as hit shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, America’s Next Top Model, and the Duplass brothers’ HBO series Room 104.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
Using the studio as a place of creativity and collaboration
Knowing when and when not to provide input in a session
Working with Rick Rubin
Executing on the vision of a producer
Being prepared for when creativity strikes
The easiest way to work your way up the ladder in the world of production
Getting a pro vocal sound
How to deal with bleed when editing vocals
Editing tools for vocals
Melodyne vs. Autotune
How to record vocals quickly
Tracking through Autotune
Why you should always start a mix by focusing on the drama first
Using automation to make mixes more exciting
The “slippery fader” trick
To learn more about Dana Nielsen, visit: https://www.dananielsen.com/
For tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Looking for 1-on-1 feedback and training to help you create pro-quality mixes? Check out my new coaching program Amplitude and apply to join: https://masteryourmix.com/amplitude/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!