TOP FLIGHT MIXERS

[chymer]

Hi,
Im producing a project and Im doing basically everything, playing, recording, mixing...everything except drums.
So, Im mixing away slowly loosing perspective and trying to make it sound excellent and I wondered what I would have to do to get Chris Lord Alge to mix it? life would be sooo much easier wouldnt it?

Anyone know how much he is a mix and how I would get in touch with him? im in Australia and its an independant pop/rock (avril blah blah blah thing)

I know it sounds outrageous but this project would benefit from his sound and (shock horror) Im not up to his standard:-)

question....

-has anyone here had a project mixed by a BIG guy, spent a heap of money and then felt it wasnt worth it?

I dont know but Ive got the attitude that if your competeing against the top american acts then your kinda kidding yourself to not get one of the big guys to mix it.

BTW, I know the songs are potential hits and I just feel that they need "that" sound that I cant give them.....

Am I being silly?

Like I asked, has anyone ever just gone crazy and spent a heap on a top mixer only to be dissapointed........

interetsed in this one....

Chymer

[Mr. Man]

When last I heard, CLA was charging $8000USD per mix and has opened a new studio in Burbank called Resonate Music. I don't know how to contact him.
Bob Clearmountain charges in the neighborhood $4000USD, and you can probably contact him at bob@mixthis.com.

As far as value for money, I had a friend who mixed a recent project and when I heard it on the radio asked if he heard it only to have him tell me that the radio version was a CLA mix. In my opinion I didn't think it was any better. But my speakers are crap to judge properly.

I don't think you're being silly… I think the question is valid. The thing that really separates big name engineers in LA, New York or London from the rest of us is not the gear they have but the reputation they've earned. There are a lot of talented engineers out there waiting, willing and wanting to prove to some big name artist that they aren't a fly-by-night schmuck who will ruin their music. However the big artists go for the big names rather than risking forming a new relationship with a little guy who's seemingly unknown. They also want their music to be big hits and considering most of the CLA stuff ends up in the charts (along with his 3 Grammy's) it's no surprise that he has a line of customers running out the door.

Ultimately I think you should find the best deal for money. Someone who has handled the music you're doing well, but won't bankrupt you in the process.

Does that answer your question?

[chymer]

Thanks for the response.
Ok....so has anyone got any names of guys who are more affordable than CLA and BOB and are amazing POP/Rock mixers....i saw a guy called Serban Ganeah or something on the Avril record........his mixers were pretty nice.

Id still like any observations on wether top mixers will actually make my productions sound better. I know that the song/arrangments and recordings need to be in order though.

Im in Australia, anyone fancy themsleves as a top mixer?:-)

I have had stuff mixed by other guys, not big guys, but I found it helps me relax during the recording/production process knowing that "sonically" it will be looked at with fresh ears and i actually find myself pushing the limits more becasue I know someone else will have to deal with it, sonically speaking. Oh well.

CHymer

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by Mr. Man

and has opened a new studio in Burbank called Resonate Music. I don't know how to contact him.

I believe that is Resonater's studio.

He is a GS member.

[James Lehmann]

Originally Posted by chymer

anyone fancy themsleves as a top mixer?

Yes - I fancy myself as a top mixer!

...which is rather different from stating that I am one!


If I like the material I might be interested in the gig. I'm not in Australia right now though!

[andymixer]

Chris Lord Alge turns down 90 percent of the major label work offerend him because he simply does not have time to do what everyone wants him to do regardless of his price tag. That being said there are plenty of people alot cheaper who will work alot harder than he will on a project that has potential. It just might sound better that way.

[jeronimo]

What about Andrew Schepps? David Ben? Bob Clearmountain?Andy Wallace?

[84K]

Chris Lord-Alge and his Brother, Tom, are managed by Nettwerk

http://www.nettwerk.com/


Last time I was in contact, Andy Wallace was managed by a guy named Andy Kipniss (sp?) I have his number somewhere.


There are many not-as-known great mixers. If you want the name and the comfort factor of using someone who mixes a lot of current hit records, then go with a name. If that project has that much support behind it, but I would not sacrifice a promotional budget to get a name mixer.

A great sounding album mixed by a great no-name mixer with a good advertising budget has a better shot than a great sounding album mixed by a name with no budget to push it. If there is money for both than God Bless. Either way, Good Luck!!

[zboy2854]

To follow up on what 84K said, you might seriously consider Dave McNair (not that he's a no-name). I remember an album that he mixed that was subsequently remixed by TLA for the major label version, and Dave's mixes blew Tom's mixes away IMO.

[casey_outlaw]

Originally Posted by chymer

Thanks for the response.
Ok....so has anyone got any names of guys who are more affordable than CLA and BOB and are amazing POP/Rock mixers....i saw a guy called Serban Ganeah or something on the Avril record........his mixers were pretty nice.

Id still like any observations on wether top mixers will actually make my productions sound better. I know that the song/arrangments and recordings need to be in order though.

Im in Australia, anyone fancy themsleves as a top mixer?:-)

I have had stuff mixed by other guys, not big guys, but I found it helps me relax during the recording/production process knowing that "sonically" it will be looked at with fresh ears and i actually find myself pushing the limits more becasue I know someone else will have to deal with it, sonically speaking. Oh well.

CHymer

A band I play in had CLA mix two songs for a record in 2001. The fact that he mixed the first single definitely helped in getting it more initial airplay, for that record, in the US. The powers that be seem to like what he does, which is the biggest advantage, and the mixes sounded great.

[robmix]

Originally Posted by 84K

There are many not-as-known great mixers. If you want the name and the comfort factor of using someone who mixes a lot of current hit records, then go with a name. If that project has that much support behind it, but I would not sacrifice a promotional budget to get a name mixer.

A great sounding album mixed by a great no-name mixer with a good advertising budget has a better shot than a great sounding album mixed by a name with no budget to push it. If there is money for both than God Bless. Either way, Good Luck!!

Truer words were never spoken. If you don't have huge money pushing the record than it really doesn't matter if a big name mixes the record.

[RCM - Ronan]

All the big name mixers are hit and miss, just like the rest of us, they just hit with a higher percentage. There are mixes by all the big guys that blow my mind how great they are, but I have also heard records where the "no name" guys mixed most of the album and a couple singles were mixed by the big name and the no name guys mixes were much better than the big guys.

But yes, big name or not, a great mixer can do a tons to bring a production to the next level.

[knightsy]

Originally Posted by chymer

Thanks for the response.
Ok....so has anyone got any names of guys who are more affordable than CLA and BOB and are amazing POP/Rock mixers....i saw a guy called Serban Ganeah or something on the Avril record........his mixers were pretty nice.

What about Forrester Savell who did the Karnivool record? I'm sure he'd be able to hit a home run for you.

[-Dave-]

In Sydney - Anton Hagop or Paul McKercher.

[patrox247]

It's funny when the singles mixed by the big name guys sound worse than the other cuts on an albulm.That being said, some of the bigger records I've worked on have definitely benefitted from having big name guys on the credits.It seems to open doors and create a sence of hype and excitement.

[Wiggy Neve Slut]

+ 1 for Paul Mc Kercher!

[chymer]

Thanks for all the ideas guys.
And thanks for all the offers to mix the project, however my main question was "will a big name mixer" like CLA give my production the edge and open doors for the artist.
Some thing it will, others think its a gamble. I mean its alot of money to spend.
I agree about the promotional budget, this is very important, but having CLA name on the record is promotional isnt it, its gotta help, especially coming from Australia where guys like CLA dont really exist, our industry wouldnt support a guy like that.
And when I say guys like CLA dont exist in OZ I dont mean we dont have gyus as talented, becasue I know we do, but we dont have the reputation on a worldwide scale.
my point is I could get a guy like Anton Haggop or Paul Mc Kercher to mix the record and Im sure theyd do a great job, but I dont think those guys are mixing smash hits everyday. Just having a guy like CLA hear the stuff and assess it based on his knowledge of how he thinks popular music should sound is pretty cool and something I guess Id like to find out based on my own productions......I guess its probably a self indulgent thing.
I should just mix the thing myself and use the budget to promote it:-)

Chymer

[84K]

Chymer,

Having CLA mix songs at 6-8k a mix will be more of a buzz on gearslutz than in the real world. As we Gearslutz are growing daily, we are still few in numbers on the grand scale.

Say CLA mixed the strongest 4 songs at 6k a song (including the studio fee). 24k for the mixes versus 24k in advertising, which could buy you a 1/4 page in Spin Magazine, Mojo or Blender for one month. When you send out the press pack, you have the magazine add to include in the package instead of a mixer's name. More people will see the ad, so it would be more beneficial. Unless you really feel that his mixing will bring an edge that it needs that you are unable to achieve.


Again, if the budget is there for all the bells and whistles, Then do it!

[knightsy]

Originally Posted by chymer

my point is I could get a guy like Anton Haggop or Paul Mc Kercher to mix the record and Im sure theyd do a great job, but I dont think those guys are mixing smash hits everyday.

What a mixer will bring to the project is an ability to get control of all the elements in the mix that he can, and use those elements to grab the listener's attention and not let them look away until the song is done. I've never heard Anton's mixes, so I can't comment on him, but Paul McKercher could certainly do that for you. Or Forrester. Or me!

The average listener doesn't really know about sonic fashion, but they do know when a song moves them... a mix engineers job is to make sure that the song moves the listener at all costs.

[Jules]

Can I just point out (at this very interesting stage) that rookie artist managers play a role in all this. Caught in the dazzle of a wall of platinum discs at the record co office, they can be pressured into some hasty / unwise decisions regarding album budgets. People that walked in with a firm policy on what they would spend - can end up walking out of a record co having agreed to go 3 times over budget... The these manager "defenders of the artists budget' can suddenly tun round to their artist and start to spout the BS that they have been feed by the AR department. Its called manipulation and it isn't just the artists that get maniplulated - it can be the artist managers too... and those are the people that are supposed to be keeping a careful eye on things for the artist tutt

[JP11]

I wondered what I would have to do to get Chris Lord Alge to mix it? life would be sooo much easier wouldnt it?

Why not get those Waves SSL plugs with the Alge presets. How easy is that!!

Heh , but seriously, isn't that Lord Alge guy out of style yet, like spandex pants and mullets?

[RCM - Ronan]

Originally Posted by chymer

when I say guys like CLA dont exist in OZ I dont mean we dont have gyus as talented, becasue I know we do, but we dont have the reputation on a worldwide scale.
my point is I could get a guy like Anton Haggop or Paul Mc Kercher to mix the record and Im sure theyd do a great job, but I dont think those guys are mixing smash hits everyday.

All the top flight mixers have mixed tons of records you have never heard of, plenty of non hits in all their discographies.

[JohnnyTonk]

Phil McKeller?

[chymer]

Originally Posted by rcm

All the top flight mixers have mixed tons of records you have never heard of, plenty of non hits in all their discographies.

I agree and I wouldnt want to be one of them, but yeah I know what you mean.

[Jules]

I knew a manager waiting to get his band produced by Dave Sardy. He was just one of 14 other managers trying to secure the same one month 'window' in Sardy's time. He counted himself lucky to have his band chosen for the time window. If there were any delays his side, 14 other bands were waitng in line to replace his.

[zboy2854]

Originally Posted by chymer

I agree and I wouldnt want to be one of them, but yeah I know what you mean.

This is the thing. The top flight guys have mixed lots of hits, but they were already hit songs before these guys touched them. Conversely, they've mixed lots of non-hits, and no matter how good sonically the mixers made them, they couldn't make them into hits.

IMO, if the material is great already, you don't need to blow crazy money on one of these guys, there are a ton of insanely talented mixers who charge far less but will give you as good if not better results, and the money you save can be used to pay for radio promotion. After all, radio won't play your song just because it's mixed by so and so, but they will if you've got the cash on hand to make them play it, regardless of who mixed it.

[neilio]

dave way?

[chymer]

I have spoken with the client about the idea of getting a well known mixer to mix the songs and they think that my mixes are great so I cant complain, Im not gonna say that they suck am I?
I just think for the genre of music and considering how many other artists/people the client is up against then my attitude is "you gotta reach for the best", im hoping thats why they hired me as producer, and its my opinion that they get the songs mxed by CLA and also promote the thing properly as well, In my opinion this would give it the edge over other independantly produced pop/rock stuff, especially in Australia.
but yeah, its a heap of cash to spend and I dont think realistically its in their budget..........unless she gets signed......
mmmmm....if CLA heard the songs and loved them and agreed to mix them, thats a feat in itself right? Well then perhaps on the strength of that we might find an investor...like a major to jump on board and pay for it......someting like, you pay for the mixes and we will pay for promotion and marketing????of course i really wouldnt want to waste CLA time if it didnt work out.

Anyway, its interesting when you start thinking realistically about situations you wouldnt have considered a possibilty..its actually makes you lift your game, like now Im thinking, "is my production good enough?" Im gonna work harder cause i wouldnt want CLA telling me the songs sucked!!!

Chymer

[andymixer]

Something else to consider that most people "in charge" don't see, and most people up and coming give in to, is the fact that these huge mixers are basically security blankets and insurance policies for A&R people not to lose their jobs. "I had CLA mix it, what more can I do? etc." What actually happens in these cases is the more Big music a single person mixes, the more homegenized and standard it becomes, herebye making it less cutting edge and ultimately boring. Mainstream music is definetely there right now, and is about to homogenize itself into obscurity because no one with money is willing to take any chances. Just a thought, but trying to get ahead of the curve rather than dreaming of being able to be a part of something thats happened a billion times before, seems much more lucrative in the long run. CLA has already made his legacy. He's cashing in right now on huge records, and his brilliance has become the norm, and is far from special now. Nowadays, if you have less than 5 million dollars for promotion, you need to have a special product. Paying the "norm" a bunch of money only takes away from that.

My 2 cents

[robmix]

Originally Posted by chymer

but yeah, its a heap of cash to spend and I dont think realistically its in their budget..........unless she gets signed......

Which may answer your question right there. CLA gets money up front and points. If she's not even signed he might not even look at the project. Let's be real, if you had a choice of mixing an indie project that might never see the light of day, or a major label project with points attached, from a business point of view, which would you choose ? Now if the guy had some free time maybe, but last time I worked with him we had tapes lined up down the hall. People praying he found a few hours to mix their track.