Here are some of the mixes I’ve done for Dueling Mixes and Produce Like a Pro Academy. Dueling Mixes is a fantastic online community of audio engineers based in the United States which allows audio engineers from all around the world to share ideas and critique each other’s audio engineering and production. Produce Like a Pro Academy is run by multi-platinum producer, engineer and songwriter Warren Huart. It is also an excellent community of producers and engineers based in the United States which provides beautifully recorded multitracks from Spitfire Studio in Hollywood, courses, interviews with top producers and engineers and a forum and private Facebook group for keeping in touch with fellow professionals around the world.
Using tracks from Dueling Mixes and Produce Like a Pro Academy enables me to show you how I approach production and engineering in a number of music genres. It is worth pointing out at this stage that while professional mixing and mastering can work wonders with almost any recorded sounds, there really is no substitute for quality, properly recorded tracks.
The first two videos Even the Sun by The Future and I’m Not Dead Yet by Lovesick Radio are “before and after” tracks demonstrating value of having your songs professionally mixed and mastered. The soundtrack will switch between the multitracks as heard when they are first imported into Logic Pro X and after the mixing process. The mixed and unmixed versions are normalised to about the same peak output.
LOVESICK RADIO – I’m Not Dead Yet
Love Sick Radio is an awesome band from Columbus, OH in the United States. They’ve toured internationally, playing music festivals in Asia as well as high profile domestic shows such as the NHL allstar game with Fall Out Boy. They’ve shared the stage with well known acts from Bon Jovi to Justin Bieber.
I’m Not Dead Yet is brilliantly catchy. It has the usual rock rhythm section of drums, bass, guitars and keys but also features mandolin, slide guitar and printed effects. There are are also big layers of vocals. I chose to bring the slide out a bit more in the mix which made it a little more unique. Check out LoveSick Radio on itunes and Facebook.
THE FUTURE – Even the Sun
The Future’s Facebook site tells us: “This indie pop quartet of brothers and friends calls Nashville, Tennessee, home – having come together from disparate parts of the country to form a band that creates highly danceable jams that resemble Franz Ferdinand and Spoon’s electro-tinged love child.” I reckon they’re great! They have fantastic energy and Even the Sun has an awesome hook. If I’m ever in Nashville I’m absolutely going to one of their gigs! If you’re ever in Nashville or you’re looking to book them for your venue, check them out at (https://www.facebook.com/thefuturemusic/).
SURRENDER THE FALL – Painkiller Hotel
Painkiller Hotel is a thumping track from hard hitting Memphis band Surrender the Fall. It’s heavy, it’s got huge drums and lots of guitar and thunderous bass. Jared Cole must gargle rocks to sing like this. A tremendously powerful song! Check out Surrender the Fall at https://www.facebook.com/Surrenderthefall/.
SUNDAY MUSE – New England
New England is a very listenable folky pop kind of tune with guitars an bowed strings and and airy female vocal. Caitlyn Deviney really does have a lovely voice for this kind of music. Sunday Muse’s “Band Camp” site says “Sunday Muse is a sofa-sized folk/pop band located just outside of Philadelphia”. I think they’re great and recommend you check their other tracks out! Go to https://sundaymuse.bandcamp.com/track…
TH’ MOONLIGHT SEXY – Feet
Th’ Moonlight sexy is another band out of the United States but this time it’s raw rock! I mixed Feet to have a very up front, aggressive sound. I felt that Feet was reminiscent of Jet’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl? and mixed it to have that kind of sound. If you like Th’ Moonlight Sexy, check them out at https://myspace.com/moonlightsexy.
JOE GILDER – Help Me
Joe Gilder runs homestudiocorner.com in Nashville Tennessee and co-runs Dueling Mixes with Graham Cochrane of therecordingrevolution.com. He has a great voice and Help Me, track two from his 2017 EP Rain, really shows what he can do. The orchestration is very pared back and gives the guitars and vocals space and openness. Joe is easy to find on YouTube and can obviously be found at homestudiocorner.com and duelingmixes.com. His music is available on Spotify and YouTube and he maintains an active presence on Twitter (@joegildermusic) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/joegildermusic/).