Secret Sonics

Bobby Owsinski is a music producer, mixer, author, and podcaster based out of LA, CA, USA! In our conversation, Bobby tells his story - from the stage to the studio and eventually writing books and hosting his podcast. He talks about meeting former Beatles, and lessons from two of their engineers - Ken Scott and Geoff Emerick. He goes deep on keeping his hand on the pulse of the industry, tracking...

This episode first appeared on December 20th, 2020. IRKO is a multi-platinum award-winning mixing engineer based out of LA, CA, USA! In this episode, discover IRKO's journey; how he made his way to the USA from a small town in Italy, his approach to mixing, monitoring, communication and so much more! Check it out! You can find out more about IRKO at http://www.irko.it/ Full show notes - https://ww...

This episode first appeared on April 4, 2021. Caleb Parker is an audio/mixing engineer and music producer based out of Highland Park, CA, USA! In this episode, Caleb shared his journey from being a guitarist to managing the sound for Scary Pockets and mixing for acts such as Vulfpeck and Pomplamoose. We got deep on his approach to live-tracking bands, mixing, and so much more! Check it out! You ca...

Nacho (Ignacio) Molino is a 3x Grammy-winning and 5x Latin Grammy-winning mixing engineer based outside of Rochester, NY, USA! In our conversation, Nacho tells his story - moving from Panama to the USA after nearly 2 decades in the business, sleeping in the studio, and making things work. He talks about how getting good at recording informs the mixing process and vice versa, the difference between...

Kevin "Black Pearl" McCloskey is a mixing engineer and the owner of Black Pearl Studios and Bigger Mixes based out of Charlotte, NC, USA! In our conversation, Kevin tells his story - from playing drumline in marching band to studying audio, persevering and eventually opening a recording studio and working with the likes of DaBaby. He talks about getting efficient in the studio, what major labels r...

Mark Abrams is a record producer, mixing engineer, and the content manager for pureMix! Mark is based out of Columbus, OH, USA! In our conversation, Mark tells his story - studying audio and getting an internship only to find his way back to his parents' basement. He talks about how a masterclass with Vance Powell changed the game for him and enabled him to make more intentional decisions as a pro...

Kallie Marie is a recording engineer, record producer, composer, and author based out of NY, NY, USA! In our conversation, Kallie tells her story - getting her audio degree in the UK, working out of studios in NYC, and writing a forthcoming book on women in music production. She goes deep on her approach to producing bands, getting into the weeds with pre-production, and hiring the best studios an...

Brent Hendrich is a music producer and mixing engineer based out of Nashville, TN, USA! In our conversation, Brent tells his story - skipping school and getting his first audio gigs from his job at Starbucks. He goes deep on his approach to production, mixing, communication with mastering engineers, mixing templates, and getting more minimalistic in his approach with experience. We talk about embr...

Jack Hartley is a music producer, audio engineer, and mixer based out of Adelaide, SA, Australia! In our conversation, Jack tells his story - transitioning from bands into the studio and putting in the reps. We chat about trends in heavy music, making sure he gets some pre-production in, and what making a heavy record looks like. He goes deep on his approach to capturing drums - collecting vast sa...

Sam Sherbin is a mixing engineer based out of LA, CA, USA! In our second conversation on the podcast, Sam brings us up to date; betting on himself and moving to LA, being a great hang, sticking around the studio, and working hard. He goes deep on leaning into fear, having a beginner's mindset, and always striving for growth. We also chat about working with long-term clients, gratitude to do what w...

Dr. Ford is a music producer, mixer, and songwriter based out of Nashville, TN, USA! In our conversation, Dr. Ford shares his journey; from scrubbing toilets as an intern to joining a country band, to eventually producing and mixing for artists around the world. He goes deep on his holistic approach to production, mixing, and maintaining a career in this industry - including keeping in mind if the...

Neenah is a mixing engineer, singer-songwriter, and producer based out of Amsterdam, Netherlands! In our conversation, Neenah shares her journey; from artist to engineer, to attending "Mix with the Masters" with Tony Maserati, to mixing records for artists worldwide. She goes deep on her approach to mixing - how to get drums to knock, getting great results in the box, when to send tracks to analog...

Dee Kei Waddell is a mixing engineer, podcaster, and entrepreneur based out of LA, CA, USA! In our conversation, Dee Kei shares his journey; from playing in bands to opening a recording studio really young, getting a boost of confidence from Leslie Brathwaite at Mix With the Masters, and starting the "Mixing Music" podcast. He goes deep on his approach to mixing - starting with the bass, being awa...

Rookes is a music producer, remixer, audio engineer, and artist based out of London, UK! In our conversation, Rookes shares her journey; transitioning from artist to producer as the pandemic set in, winning an MPG scholarship, and forming 2% Rising, a network for women and gender minorities in audio. She goes deep on her approach to working with artists, production, programming beats, and remixing...

Brian Bender is a music producer, mixer, composer, and sound designer based out of LA, CA, USA! In our conversation, Brian shares his journey; coming up in NYC and working with the likes of Philip Glass and Russ Elevado, going freelance, and eventually making his way to LA. He goes deep on his mindsets when capturing bass, mixing, and working with artists and composers. He talks about working with...

Fi Roberts is a sound engineer, producer and musician based out of London, England, UK! In our conversation, Fi shares her journey; studying engineering at SAE, coming up in Strongroom studios and transitioning into freelance production and engineering. She goes deep on her approach to production, capturing piano, mixing, and working with artists. We also chat about her extensive use of automation...

Anthony J. Resta is a multi-platinum awarded record producer, musician, and composer based in LA, CA, USA! In our conversation, Anthony shares parts of his 3-decades long journey in music and many of the lessons he's learned, and the methods he uses to craft records. He goes deep on his approach to production, being direct with artists, sampling, creating his own tonal soundscapes, and alternative...

Mike Tompa is a record producer, audio engineer, and musician based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada! In our conversation, Mike shares his journey; learning to play classical music really young, transitioning into playing in bands, and seeking out his favorite studio in the UK without having an address or even a way to contact them. He goes deep on his approach to production, working with artists,...

Daniel Silberman is a record producer, engineer, musician, and the owner of Ridgeway Recording in Chicago, IL, USA! In our second conversation on the podcast, Dan brings us up to date on his life; overcoming an illness and an injury, relearning how to play guitar and bass, taking on fewer clients, and giving more to the artists he chooses to work with. He goes really deep on his mixing process, sp...

Andy Reed is a record producer, engineer, musician, and the owner of Reed Recording Company in Bay City, MI, USA. In our conversation, Andy shares his approach to making recordings by making artists feel comfortable and psyched to be in the studio. He talks about how he can make a record in a day by committing to sounds and using his circle of musician friends to help him track the song. We also c...

Xylo Aria is an artist, producer, and educator based out of Melbourne, Australia, and the founder of Music Production for Women, an organization that aims to encourage and empower women who are taking their first steps into music production! In our conversation, Xylo shares her journey; how a bad experience led her to learn how to self-produce and eventually form MPW. We go deep on getting over in...

Josh Bowman is a mixing engineer based out of Toronto, ON, Canada! In our conversation, Josh shares his journey; from being a runner at the Warehouse, to taking on various gigs, to finally transitioning into full-time mixing. We go deep on how he was able to leverage a YouTube channel and Instagram to help grow his business and how keeping track of his projects helped him find more artists to work...

Evan Morgan is a mixing engineer and music producer based out of Vancouver, BC, Canada! In our conversation, Evan shares his journey; from touring musician to sitting behind the glass to eventually transitioning into mostly mixing. We go deep on producing from the songwriter's point of view, doing post-production to help manifest the artist's intent, and why workflow is more important than sonics....

Sam Moses is a mastering engineer and the owner of Moses Mastering in Nashville, TN, USA! In his second episode on the podcast, Sam brings us up to date on his life; how a serious car crash forced him to accept help, embrace community, and not define his worth by his productivity. He shares insights on why saying no is often important, setting your own terms for the music you work on, podcasting,...

Steve Ornest is a music producer, engineer, mixer, musician, and co-owner of Total Access Recording in Redondo Beach, CA, USA! In our conversation, Steve shares his journey; from working in the studio at an early age, to meeting acclaimed producer Wyn Davis and eventually partnering up with Wyn as a co-owner of Total Access Recording. He shares insights on tapping into local talent, building relat...