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

To learn more about Taylor Larson’s company, MixWave, visit: https://www.mixwave.net/

Looking for 1-on-1 feedback and training to help you create pro-quality mixes?

Check out my coaching program Amplitude and apply to join:

https://masteryourmix.com/amplitude/

Want additional help with your music productions?

For tips on how to improve your mixes, visit: https://masteryourmix.com/

Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/

Get your copy of my Amazon #1 bestselling books:

• The Recording Mindset: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Pro Recordings From Your Home Studio: https://therecordingmindset.com
• The Mixing Mindset: The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/

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• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@MasterYourMix

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Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com

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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

To learn more about David, visit: https://www.davidbottrill.com/

Looking for 1-on-1 feedback and training to help you create pro-quality mixes?

Check out my coaching program Amplitude and apply to join:

https://masteryourmix.com/amplitude/

Want additional help with your music productions?

For tips on how to improve your mixes, visit: https://masteryourmix.com/

Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/

Get your copy of my Amazon #1 bestselling books:

• The Recording Mindset: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Pro Recordings From Your Home Studio: https://therecordingmindset.com
• The Mixing Mindset: The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/

Check out our Sponsors:

Download Waves Plugins here: https://waves.alzt.net/EK3G2K

Subscribe to the show:

• Apple Podcasts:

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

To learn more about Tokyo Speirs, visit: https://www.instagram.com/friendgineer/

Check out Walk Off The Earth on tour: https://tour.walkofftheearth.com/

And check out their latest single: https://orcd.co/breakingmyheart

Looking for 1-on-1 feedback and training to help you create pro-quality mixes?

Check out my coaching program Amplitude and apply to join:

https://masteryourmix.com/amplitude/

Want additional help with your music productions?

For tips on how to improve your mixes, visit: https://masteryourmix.com/

Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/

Get your copy of my Amazon #1 bestselling books:

• The Recording Mindset: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Pro Recordings From Your Home Studio: https://therecordingmindset.com
• The Mixing Mindset: The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/

Check out our...