
Master Your Mix Podcast
byMike Indovina
InterviewsMusicTechnology
Helping musicians, engineers and producers create professional recordings and mixes from home so you can showcase your talents in the best way possible and grow your career.
Episodes(40 episodes)
Season 1 - Episode 274
John Paterno: The Importance of Trust and Exploration
John Paterno is a Grammy-winning producer, mixer, composer, engineer, mastering engineer, teacher, and musician who has worked with a diverse range of artists including Gov’t Mule, Robbie Williams, Steve Gadd Band, Soraya, Michael Landau, Band of Other Brothers, Robben Ford, Eros Ramazzotti, the Thrills, Tim McGraw, Bonnie Raitt, and Badly Drawn Boy, in his 30-plus-year career. Paterno moved to Los Angeles two weeks after graduating from the University of Miami's music engineering (MUE) program. A short period of freelance assisting concluded with a staff position at Sunset Sound/Sound Factory in Hollywood, where for five years he...
Published: Nov 5, 2025Duration: 1h 10m 33s
Season 1 - Episode 273
Anthony Gravino: The Illusions We Create in the Studio
Anthony Gravino is a Grammy-nominated producer, recording, mixing and mastering engineer with over 20 years of experience as a professional engineer and musician, who has worked on hundreds of albums in various capacities. Some of the artists he has worked with include Peter Erskine, Kurt Elling, Charlie Hunter, Nate Smith, Marquis Hill, Davy Knowles, Ari Hest, Tobin Sprout.His private studio, High Cross Sound, is equipped with an exceptional collection of classic recording equipment and instruments with a focus on comfort, flexibility and high quality sound. Anthony is passionate about creating compelling music with exceptional sonics and is...
Published: Oct 29, 2025Duration: 1h 18m 57s
Season 1 - Episode 272
Steve Pardo: The Ins and Outs of Gaming Audio
With over 16 years supporting award-winning games and culturally-recognized franchises, Steve Pardo composes and directs emotional and expansive music and audio for linear and interactive media. He is co-founder of game music & audio production house SkewSound, Composer/Music Manager at ProbablyMonsters, founder/game developer at The Pardo Brothers, and an active saxophone/woodwind recording and performing artist in Nashville, TN. With a background in jazz, and a professional career that began at legendary music-game studio Harmonix Music Systems, Steve brings his professional background in generative audio to his love for rich and inventive soundtracks for games.In addition...
Published: Oct 22, 2025Duration: 1h 3m 34s
Season 1 - Episode 271
Craig Alvin: Balancing Power, Frequency & Time
Craig Alvin is an award-winning audio engineer based in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. With a career spanning three decades, Alvin has worked with a roster of well-known artists spanning various genres. His recording credits include Hanson, Little Big Town, Amy Grant, Vanessa Carlton, Will Hoge, Andrew Belle, Brittany Howard and many more. Alvin won two Grammys for his engineering on Kacey Musgraves‘ Golden Hour album in 2019, and has contributed to Musgraves’ follow-up albums Star-Crossed and Deeper Well. Alvin's extensive work has earned him a stellar reputation around the country for his unfailing ability to capture compelling sounds live in-studio and his...
Published: Oct 15, 2025Duration: 1h 3m 22s
Season 1 - Episode 270
David Glasser: Catalog Restoration & Mastering Workflows
David Glasser is the founder and chief engineer of Airshow Mastering in Boulder, CO. He is a 3 time Grammy nominee and two-time Grammy winner, and has mastered around 100 Grammy-nominated and winning projects. Recent projects and clients include Grateful Dead (Blues ForAllah 50th Anniversary, Enjoying the Ride box set), Jim Lauderdale, Sturgill Simpson, Del McCoury, The Third Mind, Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Darrell Scott, Terrell Stafford, Otis Taylor. He got his start at the Boston Symphony Transcription Trust, duplicating tapes and recording at Boston Symphony Hall, followed by 8 years at National Public Radio in Washington...
Published: Oct 8, 2025Duration: 48m 26s
Season 1 - Episode 269
Ryan Williams: Making the Production Process “Invisible”
Ryan Williams began his recording journey playing guitar in bands and pursuing formal studies in recording at Georgia State University. After school, he earned a position at Southern Tracks Recording Studio in Atlanta, where he contributed to major projects for artists like Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against the Machine, and Outkast. In 2001, he relocated to Los Angeles and expanded his portfolio, working with Velvet Revolver, 30 Seconds to Mars, Deftones, Slayer, Kelly Clarkson, and others.IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:Working with Brendan O’BrienWhy interpersonal skills are more important than technical skillsMaking the prod...
Published: Oct 1, 2025Duration: 1h 12m 12s
Season 1 - Episode 268
Ronan Chris Murphy: Preserving Space & Detail in a Mix
Ronan Chris Murphy is a multi-genre record producer and engineer that works around the world and splits his time between the United States and Italy. His diverse album credits include Gwar, King Crimson (several albums), Aurora, Terry Bozzio, Steve Morse, Ulver, Pete Teo, Jamie Walters and hundreds more. Some of his video game credits include Assasin’s Creed Brotherhood, Yoku’s Island Express and Mafia III. He mastered the score album for Jordan Peele’s hit film “Get Out”. He works in studios around the world as well as his own studio, Veneto West, in The Berkshires of Western Massachuse...
Published: Sep 24, 2025Duration: 1h 30m 15s
Season 1 - Episode 267
Spencer Hoad: Leaning Into Saturation
Spencer Hoad is a versatile songwriter, producer, and engineer whose work spans pop, rock, and alternative genres. With a career rooted in both major-label and independent projects, Spencer has collaborated with an impressive roster of artists, including Avril Lavigne, Sia, Blink-182, Korn, Neon Trees, The Used, and Fifth Harmony. Known for his ability to take songs from concept to final master, Spencer often handles vocal production, engineering, mixing, and mastering himself—demonstrating a rare blend of creative and technical skills. His credits include engineering on Sia’s breakout track “I’m In Here,” assisting on D.R.U.G.S.’ debut...
Published: Sep 17, 2025Duration: 1h 11m 2s
Season 1 - Episode 266
Chris Selim: Getting Big Drums Sounds From a Bedroom Studio
Chris Selim is the musician, music producer, and mixing/mastering engineer behind Mixdown Online. With a passion for music that knows no bounds, Chris has dedicated himself to helping home studio owners and musicians worldwide enhance their music production, recording, and mixing skills.As the creator of Mixdown Online, Chris has built a thriving community of over 129K subscribers on YouTube, with more than 15 million views across his videos. Through his engaging tutorial, he empowers aspiring musicians and studio enthusiasts to create better music from their own home studios.Driven by a desire to share...
Published: Sep 10, 2025Duration: 1h 13m 43s
Season 1 - Episode 265
Jonathan O’Brien: Having a Minimalist Approach to Production
Jonathan O’Brien is a producer, mix engineer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Idyllwild, California, where he operates The Music Box—a hybrid recording studio and creative retreat tucked in the San Jacinto Mountains. Known for his immersive, emotionally rich mixes and collaborative approach, Jonathan has worked with artists including Gal Musette, Young the Giant, Coma Culture, and Andrew Goldring, often wearing multiple hats as producer, engineer, and musician. His productions span genres from indie rock to experimental pop, always rooted in a meticulous attention to tone, space, and sonic storytelling.IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:Owning...
Published: Sep 3, 2025Duration: 1h 12m 47s
Season 1 - Episode 264
Matt Colton: Why Density is Killing Your Masters
Matt Colton is a Grammy Award–winning mastering engineer whose career has spanned over two decades at the forefront of the music industry. Known for his meticulous ear and versatility across formats, he has mastered projects for some of the world’s most celebrated artists, including Peter Gabriel, Arctic Monkeys, Aphex Twin, James Blake, and Depeche Mode. Beginning his journey in the late 1990s at Porky’s Mastering in London, Colton went on to hold senior roles at AIR Studios and Alchemy Mastering before joining Metropolis Studios, where he now works across stereo, half-speed vinyl, pure analog vinyl, live-to-vinyl, and Do...
Published: Aug 27, 2025Duration: 1h 8m 35s
Season 1 - Episode 263
Vance Powell: Making Mixes with Character (Revisited)
Vance Powell is an American six-time Grammy Award-winning record producer, engineer, and mixer. His credits include Phish, Chris Stapleton, Jack White, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather, The White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys, Wolfmother, Deadly Apples, Seasick Steve, Black Prairie, The Revivalists, Tinariwen, JEFF the Brotherhood, Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes, and Martina McBride, among many others.IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:● Working with Jack White and Chris Stapleton● How his live sound experience influences his work in the studio● The importance of “making decisions” while tracking● Why he do...
Published: Aug 20, 2025Duration: 1h 11m 4s
Season 1 - Episode 262
Ken Sluiter: Mixing With Context
Ken Sluiter is a Grammy‑nominated recording engineer, producer, and mixer whose career spans from Chicago’s indie scene to major Los Angeles studios. He has worked with a diverse roster of artists, including Weezer (Red Album), Morrissey, James Blunt, Heart, OK Go, Jerry Lee Lewis, Andra Day, The Mekons, and Flogging Molly. After establishing himself at Chicago’s Kingsize Sound Labs, Ken moved to LA in 2003, where he assisted legendary engineers Andrew Scheps, Greg Fidelman, and Jim Scott on projects for artists such as Metallica, Pink, and Keith Richards.Known for his refined in‑the‑box Pro Tools...
Published: Aug 13, 2025Duration: 1h 21m 13s
Season 1 - Episode 261
Steve Chadie: Working With Willie Nelson (Revisited)
Steve Chadie, a 25+ year veteran of the recording industry, began his career as an intern at Willie Nelson's Pedernales recording studio in 1995, quickly working his way up to Assistant Engineer for Larry Greenhill.He stayed on at Pedernales until the doors closed commercially in 2012. He still records Willie Nelson at the facility, however, including vocals and guitar on “Last Man Standing”, “My Way” (for which he received a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album), “God’s Problem Child”, “Willie Nelson and The Boys”, and “Summertime -Willie Nelson sings Gershwin”.Most recently, Steve co-produced “The Willie Nelson Family”, a...
Published: Aug 6, 2025Duration: 1h 16m 4s
Season 1 - Episode 260
Taylor Larson: Creating Energetic Rock Drums (Revisited)
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 audioUsing reference tracks to make you a better engineerHow to create energy in a mixRecording drums that hit hardThe secret tip John Feldmann uses for recording drums that sound bigBreaking the “rules” of audioCreating sustain for your drumsA...
Published: Jul 30, 2025Duration: 1h 8m 40s
Season 1 - Episode 259
David Bottrill: How Emotion Shapes Every Mix Decision (Revisited)
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...
Published: Jul 23, 2025Duration: 50m 23s
Season 1 - Episode 258
Tokyo Speirs: How Pro Bands Balance Creativity & Work
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 “Sta...
Published: Jul 16, 2025Duration: 2h 2m 25s
Season 1 - Episode 257
Justin Francis: Creating Space For Vocals
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...
Published: Jul 9, 2025Duration: 55m 44s
Season 1 - Episode 256
Phil Greiss: Chasing Your Instincts
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 Willy William’s “Voodoo Song,” w...
Published: Jul 2, 2025Duration: 1h 6m 14s
Season 1 - Episode 255
Ryan Worsley: How to Create Polished, Controlled Vocals
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 Al...
Published: Jun 25, 2025Duration: 1h 6m 2s