Masteryourmix

07/30/2025

Taylor Larson is a record producer, mixer, and audio engineer who has worked with artists such as Asking Alexandria, Periphery, From First to Last, I See Stars, Veil of Maya, Within Temptation, The Dangerous Summer, Conditions, and Sky Eats Airplane. He is also the guitarist of The Evening.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:
Making sacrifices to work in audio
Using reference tracks to make you a better engineer
How to create energy in a mix
Recording drums that hit hard
The secret tip John Feldmann uses for recording drums that sound big
Breaking the “rules” of audio
Creating sustain for your drums
A simple trick for getting ghost notes to be clearly heard
Why dynamics aren’t always important

Check out the episode here: https://masteryourmix.com/podcastep260taylorlarson/

07/23/2025

It’s undeniable that the merits of diversity lay at the heart of David Bottrill’s vast discography. With artists like Peter Gabriel, Smashing Pumpkins, Tool, Muse, Silverchair, Staind and Rush, David’s work spans genres and generations, lending to a sound that is both familiar and progressive. He’s cultivated the aggressive hard-rock palette of bands like Stone Sour, Godsmack, and Mastodon, while maintaining a connection to other ends of the spectrum with artists like Afrocelt Sound System, IAMX, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

With three Grammy Awards and the success of millions of copies sold worldwide, David has produced and mixed platinum and gold career-defining albums that have established paradigms and redefined genres. “I prefer to work on music that has a strong identity and shows elements of originality,” David states, “genre isn’t really important.” It’s this focus on identity and potential that inspires David to push artists to curate the best of themselves and make music that defines who they are in that moment. And yet, even in their individuality, each album that David works on distinctly shows his fingerprint. David spent 20 years living in the UK and has just built a new Atmos mix and overdub studio in the greater Toronto area in his native country of Canada, although he still spends much of his time working with artists in various international locations.

David has recently retired from the board of directors for Make Music Matter, but still supports the non-profit that uses the creation of music and socially conscious art to help heal trauma in marginalized communities and individuals. Through Make Music Matter, David found an outlet for his experience, truly helping better the lives of others and bringing awareness to the community at large.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

Balancing the artist’s vision vs giving people “what they want”
Mixing in subgroups
Building mix templates to maximize creativity and speed
Carving space in the low end to get clarity
Mixing with a subwoofer
The downside of using reverb
Knowing when to step away from a mix and restart later

Check out the episode here: https://masteryourmix.com/podcastep259davidbottrill/

07/16/2025

Tokyo Speirs is a multi-Platinum-certified Canadian record producer, audio engineer and songwriter from the Greater Toronto Area.

He has worked with many charting artists via Walk Off The Earth, such as Lindsey Stirling, Lukas Graham, Phillip Phillips, Gabriela Bee, USS, and Luminati Suns. With certified gold singles such as “Fire in my Soul,” Platinum on their 2019 full-length album "Here We Go," which peaked as the #1 selling pop album in America (Nielsen’s Pop Album Chart), #3 on Canada’s Top Albums Chart, and debuted in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Album Sales Chart, and Platinum on their latest Album “Stand By Me” which included the Platinum-certified smash hit “My Stupid Heart,” with the help of viral TikToks and creative live performances. He has co-written and co-produced the Pokémon Journeys theme song, Disney’s Go Away Unicorn and Blade Runner Black Lotus.

Using unconventional samples, creative lyrics and unique recording techniques, Tokyo pushes the boundaries while reigning in the weirder side of pop. Having also gained respect in songwriting and mastering, at the end of the day, he's just a friendly engineer (friendgineer?) who strives to draw intimate, captivating performances, whether that means invisibly recording or pushing talent as far as possible to get the take.

He is currently working and performing with Walk Off the Earth, producing Luminati Suns, as well as dipping his toes into video production and live production.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

- Finding your niche in production
- Being strong-willed to push your skills
- Letting experimentation inspire creativity
- Working and writing with Walk Off The Earth
- Treating music as a job
- The inner workings of a successful band
- Setting up roles for different members of a band
- Recording unique instruments
- Prioritizing during the recording and mixing stages
- Knowing when to spend time on something vs. moving on
- Scheduling your life around music
- How he organizes his files, sessions, and ideas
- How to make choruses that are huge

Check out the episode here: https://masteryourmix.com/podcastep258tokyospeirs/

07/09/2025

Justin Francis has a knack for channeling emotion through sound. His multi-faceted and innovative recording approach as a Grammy award- winning engineer, mixer, and producer has led to a lineage of work with a range of artists across an eclectic spectrum of musical genres. Raised in western Pennsylvania and now having immersed himself in the Nashville music scene for well over a decade, he has worked alongside artists like Sheryl Crow, Kacey Musgraves, Tyler Childers, Lake Street Dive, Justin Timberlake, Madison Cunningham, Gary Clark Jr, Sarah Jarosz, and Lauren Daigle. Justin’s dedication to serving the song, paired with an intention to advocate for and uplift artists, makes him one of the most sought-after creative minds in music today.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

- Moving to Nashville to break into the industry
- Going freelance after years of working in a big studio
- Serving parts, not instruments
- The importance of starting a mix with volume and panning only
- Creating space for vocals in a mix
- Sidechaining instrumentation based on vocals
- Setting up your sessions to help you work efficiently and have ultimate control over your processing
- Being intentional with effects
- How tracking with effects can change the vibe of a session
- Learning to let go and not constantly tweak your settings
- Working with Sheryl Crow and Maddison Cunningham

Check out the episode here: https://masteryourmix.com/podcastep257justinfrancis/

07/02/2025

Phil Greiss is a French-Canadian producer, songwriter, mix engineer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his genre-blending work in global pop and Latin music. He co-wrote and co-produced the chart-topping hit “Savage Love” by Jason Derulo and Jawsh 685, earning a 2021 ASCAP Pop Award. Greiss was also behind the production and mixing of J Balvin’s “Mi Gente,” which became a massive global success and earned him Latin Grammy nominations and over 68× RIAA Platinum certifications.

Launching his career in France with acclaimed albums for artists like Corneille and Zaho, Greiss broke into the international scene after co-producing W***y William’s “Voodoo Song,” which became the foundation for “Mi Gente.” Since then, he has worked with high-profile artists including Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, David Guetta, and BTS, producing hits like “Goodbye” and “Metele Al Perreo.” His recent work continues to bridge cultures and genres, solidifying his role as a leading force in contemporary pop and Latin music.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

- Following your passions, despite societal/parental pushback
- Trusting your ears
- Learning to understand the “sound” of your plugins/hardware
- The key to success as a songwriter
- What publishers are looking for in a songwriter
- Being a “finisher”
- Balancing creativity vs. technical: how to prevent each one from harming the other
- Writing songs for virality
- Using clipping in your mixes
- Working with limitations
- Building your workflow for predictable results

Check out the episode here: https://masteryourmix.com/podcastep256phillgreiss/

06/25/2025

If you’re using AI tools to master your tracks, you’re missing out on quality. Sure, AI mastering tools are fast. But fast doesn’t always mean right.

I’ve tested all the popular AI mastering platforms. Some sounded okay, but they all missed something important: my vision.

They didn’t understand the genre. The emotion. The feel. The energy…

The things that ultimately make my music sound like mine.

AI tools don’t know your intent—they’re guessing based on presets.

They often miss the emotional context of your mix. They don’t understand what you’re going after as far as tones and energy are concerned.

Learning to master yourself gives you creative control.

Your music deserves better than a preset. Learn to master with your ears—not an algorithm.

👀 Want to be the first to get the link when it opens?

Comment MASTERING to join the waitlist

06/25/2025

For more than 20 years, Ryan Worsley has been studiously, methodically, prodigiously, and obsessively honing his craft. Most recently, he was nominated by the Juno Awards for Recording Engineer of the Year (2020), but he was first recognized by the Western Canadian Music Awards in 2015 with his first award for Engineer of the Year. He has since won Producer of the Year twice (2019, 2022).

Ryan’s collaboration with Juno Award-winners Dear Rouge (Universal Music Canada) has been particularly fruitful. He produced, wrote, and mixed their LPs Black To Gold (2015), PHASES (2018), and Spirit (2022), resulting in five Top 10 singles on the Canadian Alternative Chart—including a #1 with “Fake Fame” in 2022.

He also produced, co-wrote, and mixed Monowhales’ Daytona Bleach, which earned four Top 10 singles on Canadian rock radio and contributed to the band’s Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year (2022).

Ryan has worked with a wide range of artists, including Willow, Said The Whale (Arts & Crafts), Hotel Mira (Light Organ), Mathew V (604 Records), The Royal Foundry, and Shaun Frank.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

- Is knowing music theory problematic?
- Why it’s a good thing to work with poor musicians
- How to keep objective when working multiple roles on a project
- Making songs grow and building excitement
- Understanding how radio affects your mixes
- Automating your mix for impact
- Blending samples with real instrumentation
- Achieving natural dynamics in a song
- How to pick samples efficiently
- Making your vocals feel controlled and polished
- Knowing when to double vocals
- How to process layered vocals
- Using parallel processing on vocals
- Compressing vocals

Check out the episode here:

In this episode, Ryan Worsley (Dear Rouge, Monowhales, Willow) shares his tips & tricks for how to create polished, controlled vocals.

06/20/2025

Most musicians think mastering is some mysterious dark art. It’s not.

Download The Home Studio Guide to Radio-Ready Masters and finally understand what mastering does, why it matters, and how you can master your own music with confidence.

If you’re second-guessing your tracks, this free guide will give you the clarity you need to finally feel confident in your masters.

Comment “GUIDE” and I’ll send it to you.

06/18/2025

Jordon Beal is a songwriter, producer, and engineer based in Chicago, IL. He made the leap into audio full-time in 2010 after working with legendary producer Sylvia Massy on a series of singles with his former band. Although his position in the band was uncertain, the studio experience sparked a deeper passion—he realized he felt far more fulfilled behind the glass than on stage. That moment became the catalyst for his career in audio.

Since then, Jordon has built an impressive portfolio, working on records for artists such as Intervals (including their Juno Award-winning album), Silverstein, The Devil Wears Prada, Architects, Conquer Divide, Veil of Maya, Divide The Fall, Cane Hill, Janus, and LIMBS. His behind-the-scenes collaborations have also connected him with top-tier producers and engineers, including Sam Guaiana, Adam “Nolly” Getgood, Joey Sturgis, Sylvia Massy, and Phil Pluskota. In addition to production, he’s carved out a niche in editing and session prep work—an area that now makes up a significant portion of his schedule and showcases his precision and attention to detail.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

- Working with Sylvia Massy as an artist
- How to eliminate “red-light syndrome”
- Going with your gut instinct
- Recording keeper takes while writing songs
- Making moves with intent
- Adjusting your processes to fit the artist’s preferences
- Why double tracking with the same guitar can be problematic
- The secret to getting your guitars to sound massive
- Why good editing starts at the tracking stage
- Editing guitars: Where you should make your cuts if you want the best sound
- The pros and cons of time-stretching
- Using different time-stretching algorithms
- Using drum trigger spikes: Why they’re so helpful
- Using Soundflow to save time and work efficiently

Check out the episode here: https://masteryourmix.com/podcastep254jordonbeal/